The Wake
by Tubbs McGee
Summary: "We are gathered here today to remember our fallen brother..." When a Scooby crashes his own wake, is he really back from the dead? Or has an imposter picked the wrong disguise?
1. No Teachers, No Help, No Feelings, No Cr

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything but the plot, I'm just borrowing the characters and making them jump for my amusement. Buffy and Co belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

 **Spoilers:** Everything Buffy Season 1-7, Angel 1-5.

 **Author's Note 1:** The character of Dracula appears in a few chapters, but it isn't a crossover fic with the Dark Prince. This Dracula is from the Season 5 episode Buffy vs. Dracula which isn't counted as a crossover, so this isn't... In my mind he's just another Buffy Character I'm borrowing.

 **Pairings:** F/X, but don't expect them to get together anytime soon, because, as usual, there are complications.

* * *

 **Prologue - No Teachers, No Help**

She screamed again, the pain consumed her as a contraction hit, the second in only a few minutes. It was nighttime and dark in the library they found themselves in, the power having gone out as a storm raged outside. She looked at the skylight above her and the dark clouds and rain that pelted down.

Tonight had started off so well too.

It was their Senior Prom, an event she had been waiting for for almost four years, and she wasn't going to miss it. She had the perfect dress, the large limo, the corsage, the boyfriend, what did it matter that she was nine months pregnant?

The school had been understanding at her predicament, even if most of the student body had labeled her a slut or white trash. They had labeled her boyfriend with the same brush and he had just laughed it off.

'They're just jealous of our love for each other,' he would wave it off with a lopsided grin, an action he knew would cause her to smile as well. 'Plus you look hotter every day, so they all wish they were me,' he would laugh.

The limo had picked her up, her boyfriend looking stunning in his tux, rented though it might be, he had looked sharp in its black jacket, tie and ironically frilly dress shirt and cummerbund. He had stood on her front porch as she had opened the door to him and given her his best Sean Connery.

'Evening Moneypenny,' he gave her his lopsided grin. 'I'm here to pick up my date, but seeing you now, in that dress, I'll forget about her and take you instead.'

'Oh James,' she had played along, 'Won't your date get jealous?'

'Who cares about her, when I have the most ravishing creature I have ever seen before me.' He said kissing her hand and moving in to steal a kiss from her lips.

It was at this point her Mom and Dad had cleared their throats and both teens turned to noticed the large video camera attached to her Dad's shoulder, his face half disappearing behind the viewfinder.

'Dad!' She had almost screamed, looking into the lens as her mother giggled.

She was raked with another contraction and she was brought back to the present.

"I've called for an ambulance," the library doors swung open letting a small teenager in, his face a mask of furry. "But I don't know why I bothered, it's not like you scum deserve it" he sneered, stopping next to the couple as they sat on top of the library table.

"Shut up Ronald!" She screamed, sweat dripping down her brow, her breath ragged. She lay on her back, her legs apart, her boyfriend between them, watching her where her dress covered.

"Ignore the troll babe," her boyfriend said calmly. "You're doing fine."

"We should get a teacher!" Ronald pleaded with the couple. "They're all in the gym at the dance..."

"No teachers!" She cried out. "Just the a-ambulance, I don't want everyone knowing my w-water broke at Prom!"

"What does it matter?" Ronald had asked, looking at her dismissively. "Everyone already knows you're knocked up, what's another nail in the social coffin?"

"Ronny!" Her boyfriend had jumped off the table and grabbed the brown-nosing teen by the collar. "You want me to pummel you again?" He realised a fist in threat.

"To pummel me again, you would have had to have done it once before," Ronald sneered. "Which you haven't got the stones, Harris!"

"STOPPPPPP!" She screamed as another contraction overcame her.

Instantly her boyfriend let go of the troll of a teen and was back on the table, holding her hand and whispering encouragement.

"I-I don't think I can wait for the a-ambulance..." She said through clenched teeth.

"What?" Ronald yelled, wide-eyed, looking between her face and the tent that had formed from her dress draped over her spread knees.

"The baby's commmmmmmiiiiiiinnnnnnnggggggg, augggghhhhhhh!" She bared down.

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap," her boyfriend muttered over and over to himself, his bravado gone, now looking like a scared teen as he quickly took off his jacket and placed it down between her legs.

Unbeknown to the three teens something was waking below them, intrigued by the goings on that played out above it. New life was emerging over its seal and that pleased it. If it had a mouth it would have smiled, but despite it's name it had none. It cast its energies up and into the room, taking in the tableau that played out before it. Three teens, a pregnant slut, a future drunkard and an easily corruptible pawn stood over it as a giant storm beat out its vengeance on the town that now resided over it. It's metaphorical smile widened as it registered the life form being born, a boy...

A bastard.

Perfect.

It had been almost a hundred years since the last time something so perfect had happened above it, not since Wilkins had dropped a town on it or the Vampire, Nest, had tried to control it some 45 years earlier.

Many people and beings believed the seal was evil, and they were right in a way. Many evil things flocked to it, evil things tried to open it, serve it, worship it. But the seal did not care for these things. It only wished to exist. For it had to, the very world's balance depended on it. Yes it was true, it had a lesser twin somewhere in the northeast, and an opposite seal in Italy somewhere near some supposed holy city.

But it saw the potential of the new life that was being born above it, the babe that was coming forth bathed in its presence. So the seal made a decision. It poured its power into the new life, forever changing the baby's base nature and the effect it had on the world.

The baby would be an Agent of Chaos.

A Wild Card.

An Avatar of its latent energies.

A Demon Magnet, just like the Hellmouth that touched him with its power.

The baby let out a wail as it came into the world, the small life shivering as it was quickly wrapped in the suit jacket by its father.

"It's a boy!" Her boyfriend exclaimed, gently picking up his son and handing him to her. He jumped off the table to stand next to his girlfriend.

"Little bastard..." Ronald muttered under his breath as the couple ignored him.

"You did it babe," her boyfriend kissed her forehead.

"We did it," she smiled, running a finger across her son's face. "He's beautiful..."

"What should we name him?" Her boyfriend asked.

"Just give him your last name Harris," Ronald sneered. "Then the world will know how useless his future is..."

"Bite me Snyder!" Her boyfriend hissed quietly, not moving from his girlfriends side.

"Alex," she said as the doors to the library opened, two paramedics and a stretcher coming through. "Alexander..."

"Alexander Harris," her boyfriend smiled looking down at the pair as the paramedics began to take her vitals. "Nice Jess..."

And so the Hellmouth retreated back on itself, it's job done. It's energies would live on, wherever the boy went, no matter what happened to it.

The seal smiled again.

It looked forward to the future for the first time in its millennia old life.

 **Chapter One - No Feelings, No Crying**

Her body was numb as she entered the bedroom. She had gotten through it in one piece, no tears, no screaming, no shouting or pleading. Nothing. What could she do? He was gone. The only man she had ever really loved was gone.

And she loved him. She was sure of that now. Why else was she dressed in a skirt? It was for him. She sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her reflection in the mirror of the closet. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, subtle makeup was applied to her face, gone were the dark mascara, occasional eye shadow, and the full dark red lipstick she usually wore.

He would have loved to have seen her like this.

She wore a white blouse with a small dark light coat over it; her skirt was a dark black that went all the way down to her shins. She had worn pantyhose for the first time today, pantyhose and a pair of moderate black high heels. Not as high as some she had worn in the past, but high enough for polite company.

Everything she had worn was for him, right down to the sensible, non-frilly, non-peekaboo, absolutely non spectacular bra. Although, the g-string she wore under the skirt, that, that was for both of them. The thought of him finding out she had worn that under her clothes to his service brought a smile to her face, she just knew he would find it funny. Funny, and a turn on. The smile was short lived though, as her thoughts went back to the whole outfit and why she was in this get up to begin with.

Because everything she wore, all of it, was a sad joke from long ago...

* * *

"Why don't you ever wear skirts Faith?" He had asked her one day as she was getting ready for patrol.

She looked at him lying in bed, the sheets bunched up around his waist, covering up his modesty. She grinned as she finished tying her boot strap and stood up to brush her hair in the mirror. "I wear skirts."

"No, you wear scraps of material around your waist," he grinned back. "Nowhere does that equal a skirt."

"So you want me to stop?" She asked as she looked at him in the reflection of the mirror.

A thoughtful look crossed his scared face as he contemplated her question.

"Hey!" she warned as she picked up and flicked his eye patch at him.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!" He said quickly as the black patch hit him in the chest. "Maybe... Not right away though. But I would like to see what you look like dressed like a muggle." He said drinking in her white wife beater, leather jacket, jeans and army boot clad body.

"You love it!" she said, hands on her hips as she cocked an eyebrow at her man in the bed. "Tell you what BoyToy," she said crawling across the bed towards him. "We'll make a deal, I'll wear normal clothes the day of your funeral, how's that?" she asked before giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"Sounds like a plan." He smiled back and kissed her again.

* * *

She stared at herself and her clothes in the closet mirror. She had fought so hard within herself that morning as she got dressed, but now... Now she never wanted to take them off. Because if she was to take them off... Then that would mean that the day was over.

The Day they had buried a Friend... A Watcher... A Soldier... A Hero... A Leader...

And despite all that, the most important to her, it was the day she had buried Her Man.

* * *

 **Earlier that day...**

The sun hung high in the sky as she moved along the grass aisle between the rows of chairs set up for the service. Faith was oblivious to all the eyes of her fellow mourners as she approached the front of the gathered Slayers, Watchers, Demons and Normies. She stopped at the front row, her eyes fixed on the open casket that stood on the small raised platform before the congregation. She took a single step forward before stopping again, turning slightly towards her seat then back to the large display that was the body of her man. Faith kept her body stiff as she stared intently at the large wooden box that would house him for the rest of time.

Could she go up and say good-bye? For good? Say a silent prayer for him, as she wished his soul could have the rest all of them hoped they would receive in death? Or would that just prove what she had been dreading, deep down in the place in her heart that she always tried to deny existed, that he had finally left them, left her, for good...

What was she to do?

What could she do?

Silence gathered over the crowd as Faith had her silent battle with her feelings. In the end her pride was the victor once again. She turned back to the rows of chairs and moved to sit down. She felt him then; she could always feel him when he was near. Angel was watching her.

A small pang of regret washed over her as she tried to open the connection more, the connection that had stayed with them after they had both helped save the other in a shared dream all those years ago. She looked up slowly, as if she was a naughty child about to be scolded by a parent. Angel stood slightly hunched over, watching her from the back of the gathering, hidden from the suns rays under the safety of a large canopy set up for the sunlight challenged mourners, of which there were only four; Spike, Harmony, Angel himself, and much to Faith's chagrin, Dracula, Her Man's some time Master.

Angel watched her, his large black coat open as he stood with his hands in his pockets. Faith gave him a look that she hoped conveyed the struggle she felt inside. Angel shrugged his shoulders before pacing slowly. Faith smiled slightly, understanding his worry for her. He turned around, looking at her, his hand on his chin in thought. She shrugged her shoulders, looking at her feet as she felt the true weight of his gaze. When she worked up the nerve to look again he had his arms crossed and nodded towards her, then in the direction of the coffin, a silent command in his soft eyes. Faith looked away quickly, and then back once again, his face not wavering in his meaning. She looked to her feet again before letting out a small sigh. Not looking at her sponsor for redemption again, she nodded her head, turning back to the small platform and Her Man's final resting place.

Time seemed to slow for her as she stepped up onto the platform and before him. He looked... Well, he looked... She didn't finish the thought, because more sadness and anger lay down that path. Instead she tried to remember him as he was, not as the empty shell he had become. She remembered how he handled a work tool, how he handled a weapon with the same confidence, how no matter how many days he had been out bush on safari, or on the hunt of a demon clan or just a routine patrol, he always smelled of sawdust and oil. How he still found the time to goof around, even in a time of stress, a quality she had once hated, now she realised she would miss. How he himself had mourned every fallen slayer that had been in his charge, no matter how long he spent with them. And how he had finally managed to move into her heart, a day he had claimed was as worth celebrating as any other major holiday.

"I..." Whispered Faith, her voice cracking as she tried to sum up her feelings. "I-I should hate you. For doing this to me, for putting us all though this... Pain." She placed a hand on the edge of the coffin, her fingers millimetres from his shoulder. "I told you this would happen... This hurt we would all feel. That I feel. This is why I always kept people at arm's length you idiot." She said looking deep into his closed eye. "I should hate you... But I don't. I should hate you for breaking the first rule, cos it wasn't like you didn't know it." Her gaze turned angry before softening. "But that's the thing... I can't stay mad at you, and that-that's your fault."

"Exactly." Anya added as she moved next to the Slayer. "I-I was always saying he would get himself killed by doing the right thing." She said as tears moved down her cheeks, her eyes puffy and red. "But he would never listen. He was stubborn that way..." Anya sniffed as she put an arm on Faith's shoulder. "But at least he made up for it in The Sex."

Faith let out a small laugh at Anya's bluntness despite the feelings she felt for his passing. "Yes," she smiled. "He definitely made up for it in The Sex."

"Goodbye Xander," Anya croaked in a whisper. "I'll miss the way our parts would interlock."

Faith flinched as Anya said his name. It felt wrong, saying goodbye. It was final and cold to her ears. Never would someone mention his name again unless it was in remembrance or in past tense. Always 'Xander use to...', never again 'Xander will...'. She'd never wake up next to him again; a smile on his face as he slept snuggled close to her. Never would she tell him how she felt, in those three words she told him she would never say, to anyone, even if he told her repeatedly that he already knew how she felt. She looked down into his peaceful face, her heart breaking as she tried to picture him as he was in life.

"I..." Faith tried to say, her voice small, self-conscious as she tried to do what she couldn't when he had lived. "I-I... I Love..." her voice trailed off, her face a mask of emotions as she tried to say the last words.

"He knows." Anya told the Dark Slayer.

Faith gave the Vengeance Demon a weak smile that quickly turned into a grimace of pain and sadness, her eyes threatening to let the tears start to fall. The pair embraced in a hug filled with pain, loss and sympathy for the other who had lost the man they had loved at different times of his life. Together Faith and Anya turned, both holding onto the other as they made their way to the front row and to where the rest of the remaining Scoobies sat waiting for the pair to say their final good-byes.

Once they were seated Giles gave a slight nod to the old African man that stood off to the side of the large congregation. The man was dressed in a loin cloth and a shawl, both made up from various animal furs and leathers from the plains of his ancestors. On his head he wore a headdress made from the black feathers of a vulture and various beads and bones, the same on his wrists and ankles. Around his neck more beads, these blessed by various witch doctors of his tribe spanning back thousands of generations. All this he wore in honour of his ancestors, and in honour of the man who had earned the respect of his tribe all those years ago as he travelled the plains of his people. The Old Man gave a small bow to Giles and then to Xander's body before bringing a large buffalo horn up to his lips.

The large horn reverberated out over the gathered mass of mourners as the Old Man began to make his way to the platform and his fallen brethren. Taking a breath the Old Man continued to blow a long note and circled the coffin, beginning the blessing of the vessel with the guardians of his forefathers, the spirit guides and protectors of the plains. He sent his breath out through the horn, reciting the silent prayer that would send it to the blessed one to fill their lungs in the afterlife. As the last gasps of air left his lungs he removed the horn from his lips and slung the strap over his shoulder, the horn resting on his back.

The Old Man moved to Xander's body then, his left hand moving to the pouch, the medicine bag, around his neck. Beginning the prayer of remembrance and wellbeing he licked his thumb, dabbed it into a compartment in the bag and smeared a long line of red earth across Xander's forehead. He continued to mutter his prayer louder as he danced from foot to foot, adding more lines under his eyes and across his nose, and dots on his chin and jaw line. With a loud squeal of triumph he opened the second compartment, spat into his hand and emptied a dark yellow powder into his palm. Letting the bag hang around his neck again he mixed the powder and spit across both palms, making a small layer of paste. Once he was done he raised his hands to the sky, asking the gods to watch over his brethren in his native tongue. When he was satisfied the gods had heard his plea he placed his hands on either side of Xander's face, smearing the paste onto his ears and neck.

The Old Man stepped back then and called for his fellow tribes' men to step forward. Four tall young African men in similar loin cloths and beads stepped up to the platform, one on each of the four sides of the coffin. The Old Man again raised his hands up to the sky, calling in his native tongue to the evil spirits to leave this man and for the gods to scare them away so that his soul will never be tormented with the evils he fought in life.

The Casket lid was moved slowly as all five men called the evil spirits away. They continued to chant, louder and louder as the lid was closed slowly. They moved back and forth in place calling the spirits out, their chants making some of the more darker magic and demon beings in the congregation uneasy in their seats. Just as the casket was an inch from closing all five men let out a large, loud, "Ha!" to scare the last of the evil away, the lid slamming shut with a thud. The four young men began to circle the casket then, each chanting his prayer to look after the soul contained within.

For the last time The Old Man opened a compartment in the medicine bag and emptied a powder into his hand, this time a dark colour, and proceeded to scatter it around the casket in a large circle. He did this quietly, muttering to himself as he worked and prayed to the gods. Once he was finished he stood again in front of the coffin and brought the buffalo horn to his lips, letting the note out loudly and with all the strength in his old lungs, a strength he transferred to his fallen brethren.

As the last of his breath past through the horn he dropped it to his side and stood at attention. With a quick flick of his right wrist the Old Man let off a quick salute to the fallen soldier before him, an action he had done many times in his youth as a soldier in the Imperial Army. Slinging the horn back over his shoulder and onto his back like a rifle he made his way to Faith in the front row.

"He is safe now," the Old Man said in a heavy African accent, his voice gruff with a life time of use. "He is one with my Ancestors, and they will look after him, just as he looked after my Tribe and your People."

"Thank you," Faith croaked as the Old Man held her hand. "He would have welcomed your protection."

"As we did his." The Old Man said. "As we did his..." he repeated before raising a hand before Faith's forehead. He gave a muttered chant before placing his hand on the top of her head. As he finished he smiled and looked into her eyes. "On behalf of My People I welcome you into our Tribe and the Adopted Tribe of 'The One Who Sees'. Welcome Sister."

"T-thank you..." Faith said in shock. "I did not think..."

"It is what he would have wanted." The Old Man interrupted. "You were his, as he was yours, may all in your line and his be forever bonded in our Tribe."

"Really, Thank You." Faith said again.

"It is our honour. We can discuss the Pain and Blood Rites after the service." With a small smile the Old Man patted her hand again in sympathy and moved down the aisle to where his brethren sat.

"Pain and Blood Rites?" Faith whispered to herself.

After a moments silence an old Watcher, Gordon Wyiles, moved to a podium and cleared his throat. "We are gathered here today to remember our fallen brother," he began. "A fallen soldier of the light, Xander Harris, 'The One Who Sees'..."

* * *

As Faith sat, reliving one of the hardest days of her life, she felt the presence of someone enter the room. She didn't look up; she didn't want to acknowledge the person, because to admit she had heard them enter meant she would have to interact with them. And she'd had enough of people to last her a lifetime. All sad faces and condolences, some crying, some worried, some babbling, some trying to rationalise what had happened and others doing three, four, even five of those things all at once. She had come upstairs to get away from everyone. Away from the polite talk, family and friends eating and drinking, some to excess as they related stories of her man.

She couldn't stomach it, she didn't want it. She only wanted him. And since she couldn't have him... Then all she wanted at the moment was to be left alone.

Left alone in her 'Xander Funeral Clothes'.

She felt the eyes of the person watching her. Watching her shallow breathing as she tried in vain to hold it together. She was stronger than this.

"Quite a gathering down stairs," came the voice she wasn't expecting. "Glad I sneaked in, I can't take another of Giles' Demon Summits. God I'm tired, me and Kate were up for almost 72 hours this mission, I'm beat."

 _She was stronger than..._

"Then again it could be worse, Kate got some kind of Demon goo stuck in her hair." the voice chuckled. "Doesn't smell that bad, but you know slayers and their heightened senses... So, what are you all dressed up for?" it yawned as it dropped a sword and scabbard by the bedside table, a familiar sound when he returned home from a patrol.

 _She didn't move._

 _She wouldn't._

She wouldn't give the poor imitation the 'Thing' was performing the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her.

 _She was strong._

"Faith?" the 'Thing' spoke again in his familiar tone as it stepped closer.

 _She wouldn't act._

He deserved the dignity of this not happening. Her Man deserved better.

"Faith?" the 'Thing' asked again and again it moved closer. "Are you ok?" it placed a hand on her shoulder.

She closed her eyes; the tears that had threatened to come all day were on the brink of finally arriving as warmth from the hand warmed her shoulder.

 _She would be strong. For him._

"Faith?" concern was in the voice now, a concern that didn't belong.

She opened her eyes slowly, not wanting to give in to the 'Things' illusion of familiarity. But that was before she caught a glimpse of the eye patch.

 _She wasn't strong..._

She looked at his eye patch on his face.

 _She could never be this strong..._

Her Man's Eye Patch...

 _No one could be that strong.._.

...On His FACE!

She didn't think, just reacted. Fists clenched, muscles bulged, right arm cocked back, her face a mix of shock and anger, right arm moving forward, his chin exposed, a look of concern on his face that didn't belong. Fist and chin getting closer, eye patch blocked the blow from view, shock as a loud smack filled the room, fist and chin meeting, each flesh moulding to the other as his body was forced across the room.

She jumped to her feet, her left hand catching him by the collar in mid-air, his body airborne from the weight of the first blow. Left arm pulled him back, her right arm cocked back again, fist aimed at his gut, moving quickly towards loose clothing that hid a battle hardened, scar covered body. The wind was knocked out of his lungs from the blow as her left arm let go, the body flew out of the room, the kinetic energy from the strike carried him into the hallway wall with a crash.

"Fa-" was all it managed as the thing tried to pick itself up.

"DON'T!" Faith half yelled, half screamed.

Muffled gasps carried up the staircase as their commotion filtered down through the floorboards to the mourners below.

The 'Thing' with the face spat blood as it gasped for breath, its eye tried to focus on her. "Faith..."

"I said..." she began as she grabbed it by the neck and threw it towards the staircase landing. "...Don't!" she growled.

The 'Thing' hit the rail protecting the void between the two levels; the wooden banister broke into kindling as its body toppled into the open space and down into the large foyer below. More gasps echoed as her feet pounded across the floor, halting at the landing to look down at the crumpled imposter on the ground floor.

"Faith?" Buffy looked from the dark haired Slayer to the body on the ground as it tried to get up amongst the broken timber.

She didn't understand what was going on. 'Faith was fighting?' Buffy wondered as she looked at the mess on the floor. "What's going on?" she asked Faith before a loud gasp escaped her mouth, her eyes finally taking in the appearance of the man on the floor.

By now a group had gathered. Dawn looked on in shock, her hands covering her mouth as her breath was suddenly gone. Andrew sniffed as he looked at the man on the ground, a small smile beginning to appear on his tear soaked face. Giles stood ready for a fight, his hand around the hilt of a sword that hung on the wall, but his body was frozen as he realised who was on the ground. Willow just stared, her mouth agape, her eyes bloodshot from her tears, her body not responding as her first instinct was to rush to the man and hug him with all her heart, but somewhere deep down she knew she would never be able to do that again.

Silence fell over the house as guests stood apart from the main group. Slayers stood ready for a fight at the first command from the core Scoobies, Demons watched the Slayers every move, not wanting to draw the girl's attention on themselves and risk a missing limb. Fellow magical folk watched everyone, smelling power from somewhere, none of them getting a lock on the source, and then there were the normies; family and friends of the bereaved who just didn't know where to look.

"Red!" Faith called out, her fists still clenched tight as she locked eyes with Willow as she stood shocked next to Buffy. "Contain that... That Thing!" she spat.

"Wha..." the 'Thing' groaned as It tried to rise to Its feet again. It managed to plant both hands on the ground to push itself up before one of its arms gave way and it rolled over onto its back. It looked up at its friends, its mind only half registering the strange dark coloured formal clothes each of them were dressed in. "Huh...?" It said in a huff.

"What's going on?" a familiar voice called out to the room at large. "You're ruining the Wake!" the familiar female shrill said annoyed as it looked at each of her friends.

The thing groaned again, trying to focus its eye on the newcomer. But it was difficult, her hair was longer then it had ever been when they were together, but it still held the same dark blonde colour he had grown fond of as he snuggled close to her in bed in the apartment they had once shared. Her face was a welcome one to his tired eye, even if it was currently looking at him with shock and fear.

"Xander...?" the familiar female voice said as his vision solidified.

"Anya...?" the thing; Xander said with a gasp of shock.

"B-but...?" Both said together. "...You're dead...!"

* * *

 **A/N 2:** This is what I began writing when I abandoned my 'Gloves' fic. I'm gonna try to write both at the same time because both stories have been bouncing around my head lately, here's hoping I can do this!

This was just a taste of what this story is about, so hit me up with a review if you want me to keep posting!


	2. No Ideas, No Clue

**Disclaimer in Chapter One - No Teachers, No Help, No Feelings, No Crying**

 **Author's Notes 1:** Ok, don't get use to seeing an update this quick, I only have about 19,000 words written so far and about a 1000 of that is notes and bullet points of where I want the story to go. I'm only upping this chapter because I want you guys to meet Xander's slayer and get some of the vibe I'm trying for with this story.

I'm not saying this chapter is dark, but Xander gets 'interrogated' by Giles, so fair warning, even though I don't think its that bad, hell, there's youtube video's demonstrating people being shot by heaps of these things.

#Hello# = Singing

* * *

As he slowly regained consciousness the lack of sound around him pierced his fog filled brain. His thoughts were jumbled as he woke in darkness, the sound of his own breathing, slow and steady, the only noise he could hear. Despite the cramped space he was in his breath was loud in his ears as he slowly opened his eye, cold darkness welcoming his gaze. A small note of panic escaped his lips as he took in his surroundings. His arms moved from his sides and immediately up to the invisible surface above his face. His hands moved over the frictionless barrier before him.

"Oh crap! I've died, they buried me!" he gasped. "No. No, no, no, no, no!"

He stood in the cramped space looking for the seam of his coffin.

"Oh I'm so gonna kill Dalili!" he shouted, his voice muffled in the small space. "Just drink the potion Xander, what harm could befall upon you..." he said in an imitation of a feminine South African accent. "I'm never listening to the daughter of a Witch Doctor ever again!"

His hands moved slowly across the surface before him as he shuffled from one foot to the other.

"'The potions name means 'Blessed Africa will never allow'.' Who the hell lets someone drink that without warning them first?" Xander complained.

He turned around, feeling each corner of the rectangle box, looking for the opening of the lid.

"All I did was help save a herd of cattle from a Solgaroth infestation... And the Witch Doctor's daughter," he continued to mutter. "Does that warrant a lifetime of Immortality? No. I was only looking for a couple Slayers..."

He turned again, back to where he'd started. With a small huff he leaned back on the surface behind him, tapping his foot impatiently as he thought of his predicament.

Something about that didn't seem right.

He pushed himself off the surface at his back and crossed his arms before him. Then he looked to his feet. Slowly he tapped his right foot on the ground below. It made a small, muffled *thud, thud, thud*.

"Ok? Not a coffin..." he said aloud before muttering a small chant.

Etched on both of his hands, in a script as old as time, were a series of tattoos. The ink spun around his wrists, across the back of his palms and looped his middle and ring fingers before moving back across the back of his palms and joined again along his wrists. The characters glowed softly on his left hand as he raised it to provide light, the script slowly revolving around his hand as if it were a coiled snake slithering between his fingers.

"Yep, not a coffin, one of Willow's holding cages." He said with a sigh. "First clue should have been you were standing you idiot!" he chastised himself. "Who would bury someone standing up?"

The cage was more spacious then it looked from the outside. Every time he had seen a demon caught in one he had always assumed it was cramped, suffocating, uncomfortable and a pain to wake up in. So, apart from thinking he was buried alive, it wasn't so bad. From the glow of his tattooed hand he could make out the transparent barrier of his prison and the world outside.

The Magical Cage appeared to be in a small room, "Must be the Kendra Wing," Xander mused to himself as he made out the single chair and small interview table in front of the cage and noticed the reflection of his glowing hand in a mirror on one of the far walls. "Yep, Interrogation room in the Kendra Wing... What the hell is going on?" He said as he looked up to the dark corner of the room and the camera he assumed was there. "I guess I'll have to play the waiting game..." he sighed again, muttering the small chant once more, the ink on his hand returning to its normal, tattooed state, the glow vanishing.

"Hope Kate's OK..."

* * *

She was tired, dirty and her body hurt, not to mention pissed that Xander had pulled rank and made her drop everything off so he could sneak into the House and avoid all the people gathered. She walked on auto pilot after dropping off their packs to the laundry and the rest of the field kits back to the armoury, her personal sword resting on her shoulder as she entered the Nikki Woods Slayer Dorm.

She didn't notice the sad faces about her as she made her way through the lobby and towards the staircase. If she had she would have been concerned, either consoling those that were crying, or crying herself. After four flights of stairs and walking around the bereaved she made her way down the hallway and to her door. With a small sigh she took her key out and opened the lock to fall into the bed that lay behind it.

At least that was what she had assumed as she put the key into the lock, turned it and proceeded to walk into the door with a thud.

"What the heck...?" Kate began trying the key again.

She rattled the handle, trying to force the lock to turn.

"Come on" she sighed, banging on the door in an effort to unstick it.

To her surprise, the door swung open quickly, a small Redheaded girl rubbing her eyes with an annoyed look on her face and quite severe bed head greeted her.

"What!?" the Redhead, dressed in a long pink nightie, asked with a dangerous tone in her voice.

"W-Who are you?" Kate asked.

"You knocked on my door." the Redhead countered with a sigh. "You don't know?"

Kate just stared, mouth agape. "Y-Your door?"

"Yeah, my door." the girl said. "As in My door to My room."

"Your room?" Kate asked again. "No, this is m-"

"Yeah, my room." the girl interrupted. "What do you want? I have my first patrol tonight, I need sleep, I'm nervous already, I don't wanna be falling over trying to stay awake."

"Your first patrol? As in you're a Firstie?" Kate asked, raising her sword back onto her shoulder. "They gave my room away, to a Probie?"

The Redhead looked puzzled. "Your room?"

"Yeah," Kate looked around. "Look, who's your Watcher?"

"I haven't been assigned one," The Redhead's face saddened. "I was gonna get one a couple days ago, but after what happened and how it affected everyone... Well, it's been a little weird around here lately."

"You're telling me. You're not the one who left for a mission, only to come home and find someone sleeping in their bed."

The Redhead straightened at that comment and gave her a puzzled look. "Ooooookay... Should I call someone for you? Is that what I'm supposed to do?" she said taking a couple steps back into the room and picking up her phone.

"Ring the front desk," Kate told the girl, who just gave her a confused look. "Extension 126," Kate smiled putting her sword against the wall and leaning in the open doorway. "Geez." she whispered under her breath.

The Redhead nodded, putting her ear to the handset as she dialled the extension. "Yeah, hi, ahem, I need some help, there's this girl here who says this is her room, not mine..." she paused as the person on the other end spoke. The Redhead smiled politely at Kate, a smile the older Slayer tiredly returned. "Yeah, room 297... Yep, that's me... Ah... JD-2813... Oh, my 'ID Phrase', sorry,"

Kate hid a grin as the newbie screwed up a basic Slayer ID call and response.

"Ah, I think it's 'Reverse Porky's'?" the last part was said as if it was an embarrassing question rather than a statement. The Redhead quickly turned her back on Kate and spoke in a hushed tone into the handset. "It was something the Watcher who contacted me came up with... It was the way he found me, in what he called a 'Reverse Porky's' situation... I don't know what it means..." she paused once more before raising her voice again. "Look, this girl is... Yeah, sure... Fine, bye."

The Redhead hung up and turned back to Kate in the doorway.

"Grace down on the front desk says to go down and she'll sort you out. It could just be a mix up."

"Sure hope so." Kate said lifting her sword back over her shoulder and turning to go back down stairs.

As the Redhead closed the door both girls said as one "Weirdo..."

* * *

#This is 'the song that doesn't end',# he sung softly. #Yes it goes on and on my friend, some people started singing it, not knowing what it was,# he was bored. #And they'll continue singing it forever just because, this is 'the song that doesn't end', Yes it goes...#

Hours had passed. And nothing happened. He just sat in the dark, waiting. Or at least he believed it to be hours, but he wasn't sure. After a few hundred choruses of 'The Song That Doesn't End' you can forgive a person for not keeping perfect time. As he finished the round again he give an exaggerated sigh before turning to the darkness where the mirror was.

"Can we get this show on the road? I want to get in a couple hours of sleep before I have to file my report."

Silence greeted him again and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh well, if 'The Song That Doesn't End' doesn't do anything for you," he paused for dramatic effect. "Then I have a really good one about a 'Hole in a Bucket'," he smiled into the darkness before clearing his throat. #Ahem, there's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza, there's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hol-#

The lights flickered on with a large hum as they began to heat up, their dull fluorescent glow bright to Xander's light deprived eye. His hands shielded his eye from the sensory overload as the door to the small room opened in front of him. Giles stepped in and closed the door quickly, his gaze indifferent as he looked into the cage.

"If," Giles cleared his throat as he sat down in front of the cage. "You're quite finished?"

"Giles?" Xander questioned. "What the hell is-"

"I'll ask the questions." Giles began as he sat down on the chair, his hands clasped on the table in front of him. "You picked the wrong day to show up here, your plan has failed."

Xander stared at the Watcher before shaking his head. "W-what?"

"Who are you?" Giles asked calmly, locking his eyes with Xander's.

"Wha...? Xander." He said with a hint of surprise.

"Who are you?" Giles asked again.

"It's me Giles, Xan-der." He said slowly.

Giles looked away from the man before him and let out a sigh.

"Tell us who you are or we will make you tell us." Giles warned him again.

"Giles, what the hell is going on?" Xander questioned. "What was that back at the house? Why have I been locked in here going through my best hostage material?"

The Watcher gave another sigh before standing and turning to the mirrored wall. "Very well, send him in."

"Send who in?" Xander looked to the mirror; he stiffened at the look Giles gave him as answer. "Why did Faith hit me? I just came home and she hit me... Hell, she threw me into the front hallway."

"Count yourself lucky that's all Faith did to you" Giles sneered putting his hands in his pockets. "She would have done a lot worse if she had not thrown you as far" he turned again, this time to the door to the room. "And I would have helped."

The door opened and a small man entered; he held an old parchment in front of himself and a large white crystal. Xander recognised the man and relaxed, a smile crossing his face as he greeted his friend...

"Hi Andrew."

Well... Kind of friend.

"H-hi... Ah, 'Xander-face-stealing-Demon', who I think is either a Halibreck or a Bipipski Demon." Andrew waved the parchment in greeting.

"Oookay... Not exactly a warm welcome," Xander half waved back. "But compared to Giles here, I'll take it."

"Quiet!" Giles snapped. "Just get on with it Andrew."

"Yes, Watcher-Master Giles." Andrew bowed slightly to the older Watcher.

Giles let out a quick groan that sounded more like 'why me?' before taking off his glasses and beginning to clean them.

"How many times must I tell you Andrew, just because I sit on the Council and you are my Apprentice Watcher, there is-"

"-There is no need to call me Watcher-Master." Xander began in a bad imitation of Giles. "We are not part of 'The Jedi Order', you will not become a Watcher Knight, and I am not Yoda." He smiled at the two men. "Now, how could I know that's what you were going to say if I'm not Xander?" he finished in his own voice.

Giles quickly put his glasses back on his face and crossed his arms across his chest. "Andrew, if you could please..."

Andrew stared at Xander, his mouth open.

"Andrew!"

"Yes, sorry Master."

Andrew bowed his head, placed the white crystal on the small table and un-scrolled the parchment, clearing his throat as he prepared to read.

"Sometime this year please Andrew..." Giles sighed.

"Yes Giles," Andrew nodded quickly. "Hellki jumpel, Konosuta t'reelpa, False visage of a loved one, Delltel opelo, Sinta globi, Demon arise, Show your form," he spoke in a deep voice as he struck a pose, the parchment held in front of himself in one hand, the other hovering over the crystal, which now began to glow white. "Vell yoolt, Gabont sheta, Drop your Veil!"

The crystal shone bright, blinding them all for a couple seconds before it extinguished, the white crystal now replaced with a slightly burnt looking rock that was the same shape and size of the original.

"It didn't work." Giles said, looking at Xander, then the black rock/former crystal, then the Watcher in training and back to Xander.

"N-no, it did," Andrew rolled the parchment back up and picked up the burnt crystal. "He's not a Bipipski or a Halibreck Demon," he held the dark crystal up. "If he was, the demon would be standing in front of us and the crystal would have shone Red."

"So he's human?" Giles asked the man.

"Yes..." Andrew answered.

"Thank you!" Xander let out an exasperated breath.

"...And no," Andrew finished, looking to Xander and then the burnt crystal. "He still might be a Demon, one I don't know about, or he just might have access to better magicks then the Red Witch."

"Which is nearly impossible." Giles and Xander said in unison.

"I think we just might have to wait for the blood work to come back Master," Andrew sighed. "If the Red Witch can't crack the magicks behind this, the DNA will clear him of being an imposter of the White Knight or not. Mistress Willow said no matter what glamor or spell was used, DNA was impossible to hide totally..."

"Thank you Andrew," Giles snapped, cutting the young man off. "Dismissed."

Andrew looked like he was about to argue when Giles shot him a stern look and the young Apprentice Watcher snapped to attention, bowed his head at the older man and moved to leave. The door closed quietly, both men staring at the exit to the small room as they pondered what would happen next.

Giles let out a sigh as Xander just turned to the Watcher. "Proceeding to next phase," Giles glanced at the mirrored glass. "Any objections, now is the time to raise them. No turning back." Xander gave him a confused look, the Watcher this time turning fully to the dark mirrored glass. "I know we hoped it would not come to this, but given what we have been through the last few days, and we have no other leads until the blood work comes back, I do not see we have a choice. This could be the very tip of a larger attack aimed at eliminating us or worse, usurping our control over our forces. Time could be of the essence. I do not take pleasure in being forced to..."

Whatever Giles was hoping to receive as an answer, it was a silent one Xander couldn't hear, as the Watcher visibly stiffened, stifling his speech as he took in whatever he was told.

"Very well..." He sighed. Without hesitation Giles turned on his heel and faced Xander, his face a blank mask, his arms moving behind him. "I will ask one more time, who are you? Why are you here?"

Xander just blinked at the man, his mouth opening and closing a couple times at the absurdity of it all. "It's me! Xander! I work and live here! What is going-*Phft, Click, Click, Click* Augh!"

He didn't see Giles move his hand. Just one second he was standing in front of him, arms at his back, the next his right hand was extended in front of him, holding a weapon that looked familiar. Then it fired with a *Phft!*, followed with two quick jabs in his chest, and several *Click, Click, Click* noises as pain shot through his chest and his muscles tensed up, his body falling rigidly against the side of his Magical Cage.

The clicking stopped as Giles released the trigger and Xander's body went limp. His mind now filling in the gaps, the weapon was familiar, it should have been, he was the advocate that had insisted it should be a standard side arm with all patrols. The X26 taser, non lethal to almost any demon and human, it couldn't dust a vamp or behead a demon, but it could incapacitate either of them for a Slayer or Support personnel to get into position to subdue the offending party... As long as the thing had muscles, it could buy the person time.

When his mind cleared he realised Giles was talking, calmly, which was never a good sign.

"What is your plan?" Giles repeated. "You must have had one..."

"Huh..." Xander looked up at the Watcher. "My plan? The plan was to get a couple hours sleep-"

He was cut off again as Giles squeezed the trigger a second time, the *Click, Click, Click* sound filled the room again, followed but a low grunt by Xander as he shook softy. He saw lights dance before his eye for a second as he thought he heard a door open and close. When the pain stopped he tried to sit up straight and look Giles in the eye. Instead he managed to flop his arm in front of himself and move his hand towards the barbs in his chest as he sunk lower in the cage.

"How many more are you?" Giles asked looking down at him.

"J-just the one..." He tried to sit up straight again and this time he succeeded. "Me, Giles, just me..." He looked up at the Watcher as the man seemed to look past him and over his shoulder.

"Who are you?" Giles asked again.

"Xander Harr-Augh!"

Giles pulled the trigger once more, his gaze shifting periodically from the Xander writhing in pain in the Magical Cage and to the corner of the room just over his shoulder. When he released the trigger he did not want to continue, but he had been given an order, a silent look that wanted answers. He was used to giving orders nowadays, not following them, but he had seen the look in her eyes and knew that this hurt her as much as it hurt him too. But he couldn't let her do this, not again. He had promised Xander long ago he would protect her from the darkness that she once fell to. Besides, what did it matter to the old man Ripper had become?

"Who ARE YOU?" Giles raised his voice, his hands shaking.

"XANDER HARRIS!" Xander yelled, now gripping the wired barbs that had stuck in his chest.

Giles head fell and he raised the taser in is hand, moving to pull the trigger for the Fourth time.

"NO, wait!" Xander yelled, hands outstretched in front of him. Giles paused as the Man began to speak. "I was the one who went with Angel into The Master's lair, I was the one who performed CPR on Buffy and brought her back the first time." he pleaded.

Giles almost scoffed. "It's no secret Xander saved Buffy's life that night."

Xander continued, "But not many people know that I forced Angel to take me down at cross point. He didn't even want to go down there, he had resigned Buffy to her fate."

"Still not a big secret," Giles moved to pull the trigger again.

"Wait!" Again Xander raised his hands in surrender. "Then, a year later I stupidly told Buffy that Willow said for her to kick Angelus' ass, I helped you out of the Mansion, and you thought I was an illusion, a trick by Dru..." Xander smiled sadly to Giles. "I helped lead the Students against the Mayor on Graduation day, got to see him eat Snyder, so Bonus!" Xander's strength was returning slowly as he spoke to the Watcher. "Near the end of Buffy and Will's first year of college we went down into the Initiative, I was the heart, Animus, in the enjoining spell we performed to defeat Adam, and because we invoked the Spirit of the First Slayer, she tried to kill us one by one in our dreams...

"Once again, a year later I helped you fight off Glory's minions, just to watch Buffy jump off the tower to close the portal and save Dawn's life. I willingly participated in a raising spell to bring Buffy back, but what we really did was rip her out of Heaven and then forced her to dig herself out of her own grave. I stood up to my best friend as she tried to end the world. I told her... I told..." His voice cracked. "I told her she could destroy the world, but she had to kill me first." He looked away.

Giles watched the man in front of him, his gaze softening as he took in his words.

"I was there on S-Day in the High School, I fought the Bringers and the Über Vamps... When I should have... I should have..." he paused looking to the floor. "I should have been with her... With Anya." He whispered.

Giles glanced to the one way mirror, then the corner behind Xander, confusion on his face.

"She never should have been there. It was my fault." he continued, oblivious to Giles' confusion. "She would never have been there if it wasn't for me Giles. I taught her not to run from danger; I showed her you don't abandon your friends in the middle of a fight. Me!" he hissed. "She stayed because of me. She protected Andrew and she was killed all because of me!" he wiped his eye. "Sometimes I see her, glimpses, here and there. Or I think I hear her voice on the wind. Faith says it's normal..."

Giles stared over Xander's shoulder as he mentioned the dark Slayer's name, the movement ignored by Xander who continued.

"She says she still hears and sees her Watcher sometimes in crowds or when she's fighting. Says it's her way of knowing she's always with her..." he sniffed, standing up now, leaning heavily on the magical barrier of his cell. "After S-Day I left. I sank into a bottle and wound up on the doorstep of my Mmmm..." Xander's face screwed up as he became tongue tied.

Before Giles could stop him, Xander reached up and pulled the wired barbs from his chest, dropping the offending objects to the bottom of his cage, his hand glowing softly as he did so. Giles made to berate the Man when Xander continued.

"I wound up on the doorstep of My Mas-ssssss... Mmmm, Dammit!" he repeated and berated himself. "My Mast... Mmmm-Drac-ster! Augh!" he yelled in frustration. "Drrrrrrac! Dracula! He's not my Mas-sssssso..." he rolled his eye with a sigh. "I stayed with Vv-vv-vlad. He put things into perspective, he helped me." He said rubbing his tattooed hands, the glow fading. "A few months went by and I came back to train with you. When you thought my training was complete and I was ready, you sent me off to Africa in search of Slayers. Still got the scars to prove it. Some voluntary, some, not so much. Battled some Demons, lost... Slayers... Saved others. Came back and began training the girls. Even got a Slayer assigned to me here and there. Fell in love again, didn't think that would ever happen after Anya, let alone think 'she' would ever love me back..."

He paused, his shoulders slumped, he leaned back against the mystical barrier and slid down to the ground of the cramped cell. "Not that she's ever said it to me, not in words." he then quickly looked up at Giles, panic on his face. "Not that she has to! I would never force her to do that! Never!"

"X-Xander, your talking about..." Giles said calmly, looking into the corner again.

"Faith..." Xander looked down again with a sigh.

"You claim you are Xander, who is in love..."

"With Faith," Xander interrupted. "And that fact finally sinking in is it?"

Giles looked to the corner of the room again then dropped the taser onto the table as he bit his tongue from the retort he wanted to say.

"Come on G-Man, it's me!" Xander opened his arms out, his palms up.

"You claim to be Xander, but there are two mistakes you have made." the Watcher said looking the man in the eye. "First, you said that Anya died."

"Yes," Xander agreed. "Andrew saw her cut down by a Bringer, her body never made it out of the school..." he said with sadness.

"Yes," Giles crossed his arms. "Well, with that fact, you can't be Xander."

"What? Why?"

"Anya is alive," Giles said matter-of-factly, Xander faltering on his feet. "She fought against the Bringers in the School on S-Day, she saved Andrew, helped the new Slayers onto the bus that took us out of Sunnydale and helped the wounded. My apprentice says if it wasn't for her and her powers he would have been overrun by Bringers. Anya survived and now works with us as our Human/Demon Ambassador."

"No..." Xander murmured. "No... A-Andrew said... He saw her die! D'Hoffryn couldn't help me, he told me it was a Non Magical Death! No matter what I threatened him with, D'Hoffryn said there was nothing he could do!"

Xander closed his eye, his emotions a jumbled mess as he thought about this news. She was alive. She was somewhere here, not in a huge hole in the ground that was slowly turning into a giant lake in the middle of the California dessert. She was walking. Talking. Laughing. Living. Breathing somewhere. Her body wasn't destroyed by debris, broken by falling wreckage, crushed by the broken ruins of the school, covered by rubble as the earth reclaimed the town and the ground it once stood on. He didn't feel the tears falling down his face as he recalled seeing her before he had passed out from Faith throwing him down the stairs. He didn't question it when he had woken, thinking it a hallucination from the fall.

"She's alive? Anya is alive?" he asked again with a sniff.

"Yes," Giles looked down at the man before him. "You are not Xander."

"I am..." Xander gasped defeated. "She's really alive?"

"Yes." Giles confirmed again. "Your second mistake was the girl."

The Carpenter looked up then, more confusion on his face.

"Yes," Giles continued, misinterpreting Xander's confusion for understanding. "We found the girl, she claims she is a Slayer and that you are her Watcher, only..." Giles paused. "Xander is not assigned to a Slayer, he has not been for sometime."

"I do have a Slay-" Xander began.

"No, Xander doesn't." Giles interrupted.

"I do!" Xander said sternly. "Her name is Kate, Katie. She's only sixteen, she use to be frightened of the world..." he looked to his hands. "I'm helping her try to open up, see the world for the better..." he mumbled to himself.

"And by all accounts you seem to have done just that," Giles smiled.

"Huh?" Xander stood slowly.

"Yes, she was quite vocal." Giles frowned. "A few punches were thrown when we chained her..."

"What?!" Xander yelled.

* * *

Grace turned out to be an older Slayer, maybe in her early to mid-twenties, as opposed to Kate who was only sixteen, and the Redhead, who Kate guessed was only about fourteen. The older Slayer watched her with a hawk-like gaze as she came down the few remaining stairs, as her first foot touched the ground floor Grace gave a quick glance to the two Slayers standing by the entrance, both women on guard duty.

'Please don't let me be in trouble, please don't let me be in trouble...' Kate thought as she approached the tall desk the older Slayer was standing behind.

"Grace?" Kate asked.

The older Slayer nodded. "Sword please."

"Sorry Ma'am?" Kate questioned.

"Hand over the weapon," Grace said, hands out. "Just for security, you'll get it back." she smiled.

Kate reluctantly handed the older Slayer her sword, the younger Slayer seeming to shrink in height, and demeanour.

"Thank you," Grace put the weapon under the desk. "Now, name?"

"Kate Adams, Ma'am." Kate said, her arms hugging herself, an action she did whenever she was nervous.

The older Slayer frowned as she typed away at the terminal. "Middle initial?"

"N."

"Which stands for?"

"N-Nancy..." Kate said embarrassed, moving a strand of hair behind her ear.

Grace smirked as she typed the name into the computer. The smirk disappeared as the computer beeped, its search finished. She tried it a second time, then a third.

"Badge number?"

"XH-5309" Kate said crossing her arms.

The older Slayer typed the number into the database again, smiling politely as the computer performed it's search. As with the smirk, the smile disappeared as the computer gave a beep. Again she tried a second time, followed by a third.

Kate watched, yawning slightly as she waited. "Is there a problem Ma'am? Did I do something wrong? Was I suppose to file my report now? Because I thought I didn't have to till the morning..."

"No, reports are cancelled at the moment due to the service today..." Grace said absentmindedly reading through the system in front of her.

"Oh, good..." Kate relaxed a little. "Because I'm dirty and I'm pretty sure I've got demon slime somewhere on me or in my hair... Or both. I just wanna have a shower, then get some sleep."

"I don't see you registered in this dorm..."

"Sorry Ma'am?"

"You're not registered to this Dorm, Slayer." Grace said, her fingers moving over the keyboard.

"So I go out on a three day mission and my room is given away to some junior Slayerette?" Kate sighed, the older Slayer cocked her eyebrow in response. "What? She's younger than me, she said she'd never been on patrol before, she's a newbie, Ma'am."

"And you believe your dorm is in this barracks?" Grace asked deciding to run a system diagnostic.

"Yes, Ma'am." Kate answered, her arms holding herself tighter. "It was my Watchers idea, he said I should... I needed to learn to sleep somewhere where he wasn't one door away. It was an experiment. To see if I could handle any nightmares on my own in the dorms instead of in the 'House' with him."

"Who is your Watcher?" the Older Slayer asked, turning back to the keyboard. If her old accommodations had been in the 'House' then that meant her Watcher was one of the Core Eight.

"Xander, Xander Harris,"

Grace went quiet and still as soon as Kate had mentioned Xander's name. Her eyes went wide before compassion showed on her face.

"What?" Kate asked again.

"Mr Harris was your Watcher?"

"No," Kate corrected the older slayer. "Mr Harris IS my Watcher."

"Oh my Goddess, you don't know."

"Know what?" Kate stiffened, her grip on herself tighter.

"Mr Harris' Memorial was today," Grace said softly, her hand reaching for the phone on the desk. "He was buried in the Joyce Summers Rose Garden this afternoon." she picked up the handset and punched in a number.

"W-What...?" Kate stared at the older Slayer. "Wha... No, no, that's... No!" she gasped as she failed to draw in a steady breath. She had just left him. He was smiling and joking and teasing her about her sloppy sword techniques. He couldn't be dead, let alone buried. Not that fast. Not Xander... Not her Watcher... Not again. Maybe he had found them... Found Xander. And he had fallen trying to protect her.

But if the Pastor had found them, why wasn't she told? Xander had always said that if the Pastor ever found them that she would be kept safe, no matter what happened to him. She was a Slayer now, a Scooby, and if you messed with one Slayer, one Scooby, you messed with all of them, and suffered the consequences. She watched the older Slayer give her a sad smile before she began to speak with whoever picked up on the other line.

"Yeah, hey, it's Grace down on the front desk of the Woods Dorms," The Slayer said into the phone. "I have a Slayer down here who says her Watcher was Mr Harris..." the handset made a few noises like it was being handed to someone else before a new voice spoke to the older Slayer. Grace stiffened slightly as she recognised the speaker. "Ma'am... Yes, ah, she didn't know he had pass... What? Ah, yes Ma'am... Well Ma'am, she says her name is Kate Adams, and that Mr Harris was her Watch... Huh? But Ma'am, she says... Yes Ma'am I understand that, but... No Ma'am, I know what you just said, I'm just..." she didn't finish as yelling was soon heard from the speaker on the other end. "Yes Ma'am... I'll see you soon... No... Ok, by the time you get here she will. Yes Ma'am."

Grace slowly put the handset down, watching Kate with a steel glare. "Someone will be down to help you shortly." her eyes flicked to the two Slayers guarding the entrance then back to Kate.

"W-What did you mean he's buried in the Rose Garden?" Kate said finally finding her voice. She glanced to her sides as the two guards moved forward slowly, one on each side of her. "Did he find us?" She asked, her voice was low, slightly strained, panic threatening to fill it as she tried not to tremble in fear. "Is Pastor Adams here?"

"Please, someone will be down to help you shortly."

"He can't be buried?" Kate said to no one. "Not Xander..." She sniffed.

"It's ok Grace, I'll take it from here." A sad voice said from behind Kate.

"Ma'am," Grace nodded to the speaker.

Kate turned around, the voice familiar. And so was the woman talking. "Dawn?"

Dawn stood before the young Slayer, her eyes red, visible signs that she had been crying only hours before. Flanked behind her stood four older Slayers, all armed with various weapons.

"Dawn, what's going on? She said Xand was dead!" she approached the older woman. She made to touch Dawn but the slayers behind her took a step forward threateningly.

"Ms Summers." Grace corrected Kate.

"Her name is Dawn." Kate turned to the Slayer behind the desk.

"Ma'am?" one of the armed Slayers spoke.

"It's ok," Dawn raised a hand, her voice ruff. "Both of you, it's ok." she turned to Kate. "If you'll come with me please, quietly."

Kate looked from Dawn to the four armed, large and older Slayers. "Where are we going?" Panic now filled her voice before repeating with a squeak. "She said Xand was dead..."

"Y-yes..." Dawn looked down before looking up again with slight anger in her voice. "He is dead."

Kate staggered for a second, her chest feeling like it was going to explode. "No... No... T-that, that can't be..." she shook her head trying to clear the cobwebs, her dark blonde ponytail whipping back and forth, the smell of the demon goo wafting slightly in the air. "I just left him... He's alive."

The world froze. Or did it just slow down? Kate stared at Dawn, her eyes pleading with the woman who was once the Key. Dawn's shoulders slumped, her head dropped as she turned away from the young Slayer before her face steeled, her shoulders squared and she began to walk away from her. Kate looked stunned as Dawn said only two words as she left.

"Take her."

The world sped up again.

Kate panicked.

Cuffs and chains appeared as the armed Slayers moved to grab her.

Kate screamed, her fists moving to connect with the nearest Slayers jaw as the same thing played over and over in her head.

'He found me! I'm going back to the Basement! He found me! I'm going back to the Basement!'

Strong hands grasped her arms as the first Slayer she hit staggered back. She screamed again, this time kicking against her attackers as the first Slayer raised the chains to her left wrist. Kate struggled in the older Slayers grasp as the cuff was shut with a small click.

The cuffs snapped shut around her wrists, the armed Slayers grabbing her as she screamed louder, kicking and fighting against their hold on her arms and legs. They picked her up as tears streamed down her face, her hair whipping around as she fought against her jailers.

'Not the Basement, Not the Basement' she screamed in her head.

As they moved her through the doors and out into the courtyard her screams changed from a long loud wail to more fevered pleas.

"No! No! Please, No! I'll be a good girl!" her voice began to strain. "I'm not dirty! Don't send me to the Pastor! Please! I'm not dirty!" she repeated as they carried her away.

* * *

 **A/N 2:** Funky hand tattoos (Why do I focus on hands so much?), loved ones alive, mysterious Pastors and another mention of a possible reason for Xander popping up when he did! Hope you like where I'm going with this! If you do, or you don't, why not leave a review? Its the only way I'll learn!


	3. No Crate, No Thrall

**Disclaimer in Chapter One - No Teachers, No Help, No Feelings, No Crying**  
 **Additional Disclaimer: Thirteen by Big Star was written by Alex Chilton and Christopher Bell and Published by Universal Music Publishing Group.**

 **Author's Notes 1:** So after this chapter is posted I am now playing catch up, i.e. the next chapter isn't finished yet. I probably shouldn't even be posting this but again I wanted it out there because of some of the comments in the reviews I'm getting (the comments aren't bad, in fact I love them, keep 'em coming!), but some of you are too smart for your own good!

#Hello# = Singing

* * *

"What?!" Xander almost screamed. "You restrained her? You put her in chains?"

"Yes." Giles told the man. "Rouge Slayer Protocol."

"Rouge Slay-Idiot!" Xander spat. "Didn't you read her file? Do you have any idea what that will do to her? What she's been through?"

"Her file?" Giles looked puzzled.

"Yeah, her file! She was my Slayer after all, her badge is XH-5309."

"You found her?" Giles stared at the man, the number telling him instantly who found her and when.

"I rescued her!" he corrected. "You have to release her. Get the chains off her before she breaks down."

"And why would she break down?"

"Because of her idiot, religious, bigoted, abusive Grandfather!" Xander yelled at the Senior Watcher. "Pastor Adams," he scoffed. "If I didn't already mistrust men of the cloth, him and his family would have done it. He had her locked up for three years in his compound's basement because he thought she was a dirty girl, the last two years of which she was plagued with Slayer dreams. Only she didn't know what they were, she thought she was evil, a child of the devil.

"Every day the Pastor would fill her and her family's heads with talk of fire and brimstone, sin and temptation of the flesh, and how the reckoning was coming, so they all better be the best little Christians they could be!" he shook his arms in mock joy before placing them together in prayer. "Telling them all women were dirty from birth, only there to tempt men away from God. And if she even dared to speak up for herself, well, there was gonna be hell to pay, literally!

"Every night she would dream of girls being eaten, mutilated, killed, and not once did she think the girls had power. She thought SHE was the monsters in the dreams, not the Slayers. You have to release her, or all the hard work I've done to get her to open up will be for nothing..."

"Why would she be assigned to you?" Giles asked.

"Because I get the screwed up ones." Xander hung his head. "I get the difficult girls, the ones on the brink, I bring them back into the light."

"And why would that be?" Giles questioned.

"Because I know what it's like, I fell to the dark, to the inner hate and pain... I was HIS servant." he said in barely a whisper.

* * *

He shifted his weight in the crate, cursing the name of the pathetic underling who had made it to house him and his dirt. Small cracks of light moved every now and then across his sad face as he was moved, forcing him to flinch every now and then for fear it was sunlight. He had wanted to be shipped home in the crate he had arrived in, but it had been destroyed prematurely, a misfortune that pained him greatly. His Manservant had made it for him. Hand crafted from the finest oak, craved with precision and passion, it was more a work of art then a mere crate. And it was a gift. The last he had received from his most favourite Slave.

A parting gift from a Student to his Master. And they had destroyed it. For what? Security? What could he do with a crate full of dirt that he could not do himself already?

He had felt peace for the first time in well over a thousand years with his last servant, for he had not had one like him since. Somewhere deep down in his shrivelled, still, undead heart he held a place for him, something he would not admit freely. And yet, that did not trouble him as much as he thought it would. Yes, he could feel affection for things, for a virgin or two, the smell of the hunt, the sisters three, the Slayer, before she had staked him twice, and finally it seemed for his former Manservant, Xander.

But something did trouble him.

A feeling, one he had not felt that long before. It had happened after the service, as he watched the dirt placed over the coffin that housed his Manservant. He had stood over the open grave muttering to himself as the hole was slowly filled. The canopy he had been forced to shelter under for the service had been shifted per his request to be closer to the burial. Before the box had disappeared fully from view he had added his own earth into the final resting place. One handful of Transylvanian dirt, so his Manservant could find his way back to him one day.

He stayed, the rest of the mourners leaving soon after the coffin had been lowered. He stayed and watched the earth being packed down, his head hung low. He did not want to stay, he knew he would not be welcome, he rarely was, his only excuse to being here gone forever. But the feeling was there, at the back of his mind. A pull. And not just one, two pulls. He had rubbed his temples, trying to clear his mind. Maybe it was a blood problem...

Or a lack there of.

He looked around himself, his eyes flashing yellow as he looked for a morsel to sample. The two slayers tasked with guarding him was his first choice, but he knew his Manservant would not approve. He frowned to himself as that thought occurred to him, before it turned into a smile as he thought of the man who had become a friend. In the end his gaze fell to the two caretakers who were tending to the grave site.

"Excuse me young man," he said waving a hand towards the closest caretaker. "Would you care to help me?"

The caretaker had stopped his work, the shovel going slack in his hand. "Yes my Lord..." he said faintly, walking slowly to the dark Vampire. "How could I be of asssssssistance..."

"I am pained... The Thirst... Rises..." Dracula began, the caretaker moving slowly forward, opening his shirt collar and moving his head to the side, his neck exposed.

A fist snapped into view, catching the vampire in his open mouth, forcing him back, his thrall over the caretaker broken instantly.

"Hands off Drac!" Angel snarled, standing before the old Vampire. "No biting allowed here, you're a guest."

"Angelo..." Dracula smiled, licking a hint of blood from his split lip. "A pleasure, as always."

"Vlad." Angel nodded.

"I will admit, he would not have been my first choice..." Dracula sneered. "Unless you have a young, nubile virgin handy?" When Angel rolled his eyes he continued. "I thirst, therefore I drink..."

Angel sighed, reaching into his long coat. "I thought you might. Here." he said producing a medical blood bag from his pocket.

"Ah..." Dracula accepted the bag. "From your own private reserve?"

He bit into one end of the bag, breaking the seal and drinking deeply. His eyes shot open as he spit the mouthful of blood he had consumed.

"Swine!" Dracula snarled. "You give me dirty blood!"

"It's pig's blood or nothing Vlad." Angel crossed his arms.

"The Slayers should respect their betters." Dracula grumbled as he fed, fighting hard not to gag as he choked down the poor excuse for food.

As he was sucking the very last of the foul liquid he was hit with the feeling again, only this time one of the pulls he felt was different, he sensed, Danger? Confusion? And then... Nothing.

"How long you staying in town Vlad?" Angel turned a serious look to the older Vampire.

"My Manservant is fresh underground and you want me to leave?" Dracula sneered. "I am not welcome now he has gone?"

Angel let out an unneeded sigh, rubbing his forehead as he looked at the Master Vampire. "No, that's not what I meant."

"Then perhaps you wanted to know how long I must have this pathetic pair of Slayers guarding me and following me around as I grieve!" Dracula growled and waved the empty blood bag at the two Slayers that stood twenty paces away in the sunlight, stakes in their hands, watching the dark Vampire with eagle eyes. He thumped his chest before throwing the blood bag to the ground. "Am I not allowed to mourn in peace?" He snarled, turning back to the fresh grave with a flourish of his cape.

"I'm sorry," Angel closed his eyes and shook his head while mentally sighing a 'Why me?'. "Yes you can stay as long as you want, it's just that... Your crate of dirt..."

But what was done was done... What could he do?

He could have ripped the throats out of the fools who destroyed his crate, but that was not what his manservant would have wanted. No matter how much joy it would have given him.

Dracula mused to himself, his fingers moving at his sides through the remaining dirt that had been saved. He had performed the magic himself. He had waited at the grave... But nothing. Nothing but the strange feeling he still felt in the direction of the Slayers compound.

He gasped.

He was an idiot.

* * *

Stan drove the pickup fast. Anything to get away from that weird school for girls. He needed a new delivery route.

Sure, at first it was great.

Drive on down to the school, perve on all the ladies that worked there, and some of the students if he was being honest with himself, pick up or drop off, perve some more, deliver the package to wherever it was gonna go.

Simple.

Then the weirdness started.

Driving through campus and seeing classes of girls fighting each other, running drills, weapons training, with freaking Swords! Then the predatory looks he got from some of the teachers, not to mention the looks from some of the students... Or that one British dude with the glasses, or the guy with the One Eye who had threatened to beat him with a shovel and bury his body under the rose bushes if he kept leering at the girls.

Then there was the packages themselves.

Sometimes they were ok, couple boxes of books, loads of lumber, some furniture, which they seemed to go through a lot, when Stan had brought it up one day he just got a cryptic "Girls will be girls" and a "things break". But then there was the other stuff, medical supplies up the wazoo, strange smelling herbs and powders, crates that clanged and jangled like they contained large silverware, boxes marked 'tactical' or 'armour' or 'explosive' and 'handle with care' or 'artefacts contained within, open at own risk!'.

And then there was today. Just a day after he had delivered an intricately carved box that looked more like a coffin and felt like it contained dirt, he was picking up and delivering to the airport a crudely made box that looked like a cheap coffin that had dirt falling out of it from between a couple slats of wood in the base and lid. To say Stan had the wiggins was an understatement. He was at full on hair at the back of the neck standing on end, goosebumps, somebody crawling on your grave wigging out!

He looked up at the rear view mirror and to the large crate behind him. "Man, I got to get a better route," Stan grumbled to himself. "This is bullish-!"

At that exact moment a pale fist burst through the top of the crate, dirt flying out as the hand instantly began to smoke before being pulled back in, the box letting out an animalistic growl.

Stan slammed on the brakes, his eyes wide in terror as he yelled "Augh! Bomb!"

As the pickup came to a screeching halt, Stan watched in the mirror as the hole got bigger in the crate, more dirt bursting forth. He swivelled in his seat to look out the back window and almost had a heart attack, as the wood was being broken he could see a man with long dark hair and dressed in black robes, forcing his way out, smoke rising faintly from the man. Stan turned around and looked into the mirror again, the scream on his lips dying in his throat as he didn't see anyone, just the box exploding open.

He turned around again and the man was slowly dissolving before him, rising up into a dense fog. The fog seemed to waft back and forth in the bed of the truck before slipping over the lip and to the ground below. Without thinking Stan opened his door and looked out at the ground. The fog was solidifying this time, but not as a man, but as a large grey Wolf, as big as a Great Dane if he was to guess.

As if on cue the Wolf turned its big head around to face him and growled out, "Return my dirt to the Slayersss..."

"H-Huh?" Stan stammered.

"The crate," the Wolf huffed, pointing its head at the broken box in the back of the truck. "Return it from where you picked it up, I have decided to stay" it growled.

All Stan could do was nod quickly, his voice nonexistent after the wolf actually spoke. The wolf gave one last growl and turned back and ran, at what Stan could only call a fast gallop, back to the School.

"Yep!" Stan said when he had regained his voice. "I definitely need a new route!" He lamented as he slammed his door closed, started the pickup and turned around, speeding for the school and the wolf that was headed its way.

* * *

"I said I fell into the bottle after S-Day," Xander looked up at Giles.

"Yes," the Watcher stared at the man.

"Well, that's kinda true..." He rubbed the back of his head, a familiar feeling returning to his mind, a part of him grateful at its presence. "I also kinda wound up at Dracula's Castle. Apparently I was never really released from his thrall and service back in the day."

"The same thing happened to our Xander." Giles let out before catching himself.

"Yeah, well, while I was self loathing and drinking myself into a stupor over losing Anya, apparently Drac felt my pain and called me to him. It was two months till you guys found me and another couple months till I willingly left his side." Xander smiled sadly to himself, that feeling at the back of his mind growing stronger as he continued to talk. He just hoped it would be drawn to Kate too. "At first it was mostly bug eating and helping him with the slow seductions of virgins... But then it began to change, he helped me, prepared me to live again..." He raised his hands and traced the tattoos on one of his hands with his fingertips. "But I did things, things I'm not proud of, things that tainted me... Even though its been more than a decade since he came to Sunnydale, every once and a while I'll find myself back on his doorstep..."

"Our Xander always managed to resisted when Dracula called him again." Giles supplied with a hint of pride in his voice.

"Lucky him..." Xander looked up at Giles, trying to convey his meaning with his eye. "So now I help the lost Slayers, the damaged ones. So when I say to go get MY Slayer out of cuffs, I mean it!" He raised his voice at the end.

"Why would we do that?" Giles said calmly. "You just said you were in league with the Dark Lord."

"He's not Voldemort, and I'm NOT in league with him! Release her!"

"Who are You?" Giles banged his fist on the table.

"I'M XANDER HARRIS..." He yelled, banging his fists on the magical barrier before him. "NOW RELEASE KATI-Augh!"

Xander's body convulsed again as he heard the familiar *Phft, Click, Click, Click* and a sharp pain in his left shoulder. He felt the hit in the back of his shoulder, the pain fading as the electrical current flowed through him. He slumped forward onto his face falling against the magical barrier of his cage. As the clicking noise died down he saw Giles look over his shoulder in shock.

"You didn't have to do that!" Giles raised his voice.

"It was trying to break out!" A female voice replied.

"N-No!" Xander groaned a little louder then he meant to. "I wasn't F-Faith..." He turned around, his body finally responding to his own commands.

Faith stood in a defensive stance, her right hand out in front of herself, her own taser raised, the wires deployed, now attached to his shoulder. Her hair was still in the ponytail he had seen it in before, but now she was in Slayer mode, leather pants, a wife beater with a dark jacket over the top, the tasers holster on one hip, a stake and a knife on the other. He knew there were more knives he couldn't see, the thought causing him to frown.

"Please Faith..." He groaned. "It's me, Xand-"

"Don't!" Faith snapped. "You don't say that name!"

"Faith..." Giles stepped towards her.

"Stop G." Faith raised the taser. "I can take it from here."

"Faith..." Giles said more sternly.

Faith gave him a steely look, her face hard, almost blank with emotion.

"I can take it from here."

"G-Man," Xander straightened up in the cage. "It's ok, you can leave." Giles looked between the two, not sure his course of action. "Not to give you an order, cos hey, I seem to be the bad guy here, but," Xander shrugged his shoulders, and immediately regret it as pain shot through the barbs still lodged in his flesh. "But why don't you go check on my lab results, Andrew did mention that Willow says I can't fully hide my DNA. And after Andrew's little demon reveal spell didn't, you know, reveal anything, I assume you can't find any spell or glamor on me..."

"They did find some Magicks in you." Faith eyed Xander's tattooed hands.

"But nothing that could change my appearance, right?" Xander asked his girlfriend.

"No," Giles answered for her.

"And if I'm gonna be tortured some more, I'd feel a whole lot better if you got those test results back quicker, rather than later and let my slayer go... Not necessarily in that order."

"Are you sure?" Giles straightened. The man had a point. If he was Xander, then the quicker it was confirmed, the better. And if he was right about the slayer they had locked up, the quicker they got her out of the chains the better mood this Xander would be. Then again, if the results were inconclusive then Giles would return and pick up where he left off and try to take over for Faith.

"Yeah," Xander turned back to the older Watcher. "Besides," he rubbed the back of his neck again. "You're gonna have a pissed off 'Wolf' at your front gates pretty soon if I'm not mistaken." Giles eyes widened for a second as he caught his meaning. "Hopefully he'll look after Kate till we sort this out." Xander gestured to the cage, wincing slightly as the barbs again pinched from the movement.

The Watcher turned to the door before pausing and looking back at him. "You know, Xander once said to me," Giles began, watching the young man. "If there was a choice between Ripper and Faith-"

"And I stand by it," Xander nodded, interrupting the man. "I'd rather you do this than her, but I'm hoping I can prove to her I am who I am."

"Very well..." Giles nodded back. "But if the results aren't in your favour," he leaned forward menacingly. "Ripper will be unleashed."

"I expect nothing less..." Xander replied.

With that threat said, Giles left the room.

* * *

#Gonna... Lay down... M-my B... B-burdens...# Kate sang softly to herself. #Down by the river... Side, down by the riverside...#

She lay on her side in the corner of the dark room, her head against the ground, hair spread around her in a sort of halo, the long strands having come lose from her ponytail as she was placed in the chains. The floor was cold, but nothing as cold as the concrete of the family basement she was sure she was going to go back to. She let out a shudder at the thought of going back, of seeing him again, hearing him preach and yell to the heavens as the small congregation yelled out their own barbs and put downs.

#I a-ain't gonna... S-study war...# she croaked, her eyes staring, unblinkingly at nothing. #I'm g-gonna... Lay d-down my... S-sword and shield... D-down by the... River s-side... Down b-by...# she faltered as more tears came out, falling to the ground, her face wet against the floor.

Xander was gone.

And he was back.

"I'm a good girl..." she let out a shuddering breath. "I'm not dirt-"

There was the sounds of a scuffle off in the distance, beyond the door to the small room she was in. When raised voices could be heard coming from outside she blinked a couple times as her body began to shiver and curl into a ball, her tears flowing more freely now.

"Where is he?" a thick accent called out.

She gasped, moving suddenly to watch the door. She could make out two sets of shadows through the crack at the bottom.

"Drac!" two women that sounded like Buffy and Dawn said as one.

"Leave me Slayers!" the thick accent yell.

"D-Dee..." Kate rasped.

"Yeah right!" Dawn scoffed.

"Not gonna happen Darth Lord Vamp," Buffy added, both shadows at the door not moving.

"Out of my way Woman! You may have been able to break away from my thrall, but that was some time ago."

"Not happening." Buffy sneered, pausing as if something was happening. "Nice try Drac," Buffy sounded bored. "Not quite swooning here."

"Maybe flap your cape some more?" Dawn advised. "Then it might work."

"Augh!" Dracula yelled out. "When would you have told me? When I was halfway across the globe? Or would you have told me at all?"

"You don't underst-" Buffy began.

"He was mine!" the Vampire snarled. "You have no right! As soon as he appeared I should have been told!"

"He's not yours!" Dawn yelled. "He never was then, and he's not now. How long are you gonna keep this up? Its been almost ten years since he followed you, and that was against his will."

"You try my patience slayer..."

"Watch your tone when you talk to my sister!" Buffy yelled, one of the shadows moving in front of the other. "He's not yours Drac," She repeated. "He's not anyone's, and we don't know who that is in there!"

"Dee..." Kate moved a hand to reach for the door. She couldn't stretch that far as the chains gave a protest.

"He is MY Manservant!" Dracula screamed. "I can feel him! Did you think you could trick me by trying to split the pull in two? You know nothing of my power!"

"What?" Buffy gasped.

"I feel him... I feel what you have done to him." Dracula's grew a little softer. "Please Slayers, release him... Now!" Dracula snarled.

She found the strength then, she knew what would help her. She closed her eyes and yelled as loud as she could "M-Master!"

The two shadows at the crack of the door moved suddenly away from the door as the light was obscured by thick smoke that began to enter the room. The smoke stayed low to the ground, the fog like substance quickly spreading out and heading right for her. She smiled then, he would protect her.

The fog then began to rise, coalescing into the form of a man in a dark suit, an equally dark cape draped over his shoulders and held tight over his body. He looked down at her as the door was opened and the light of the hallway washed over them both, Buffy and Dawn standing in the doorway, both with a stake in their hands.

"Dee..." Kate smiled up at him as the Vampire looked at her puzzled. "You came..."

"You are not Xander..." he said astonished.

"They said he d-died..." tears began to fall down her cheeks again, a look of anguish in her eyes. "The c-chains... H-he's coming Dee... Pastor found me..."

"Shhh, my child," Dracula crouched down next to her, stroking a strand of hair behind her ear. He reached down to the chains on her wrists and began to pull at them.

"Drac..." Buffy warned the Vamp.

"What is this Magicks?" Dracula hissed at the two slayers. "She is mine," he broke the chains holding her hands before moving to her feet. "This girl is one of my own, but..." he paused as he broke free her feet.

The instant she was free Kate sat up, her arms wrapping around the Vampire's neck, hugging herself to his body. Dracula for his part was shocked, his body stiff at the sudden embrace and familiarity the young girl seemed to exhibit with him. Dawn was staring at Kate, a sick look on her face, the stake in her hand slack. Her heart had almost stopped when the door had opened and she had seen the girl laying on the ground. She didn't look like a slayer in that moment, matter of fact she still didn't look like one as she clung to the Vampire, her body looking so small compared to the powerful demon.

"Who is this child?" He stood up, his arms holding the girl to him as her grip tightened.

"She appears to be Xander's slayer," Giles quickly entered the room, a piece of paper in his hand.

"You told me my Manservant had no slayer when I requested an audience with his paramour." Dracula sneered at the man. "Watcher, if you were not all Family to my Manservant I would feed on you all..."

"Dee?" Kate pulled slightly away from him to look at him, a tear falling down her face.

"Sorry..." he looked into her sad eyes and found himself saying before he realised what he was doing. After a second she nodded at him and returned her head to his chest.

All four adults looked at each other with confusion on their faces at the girl's actions before Giles cleared his throat.

"I have the DNA results..." he held up the piece of paper.

* * *

They stood in silence, Xander staring at the floor, Faith for her part staring daggers at him, the grip on the taser so tight every now and then you could hear the metal and plastic give a groan as if it was going to break. She was concentrating on her breathing as her eyes searched every inch of the thing that tried to dress as her man. He was almost exactly the same. Same eye patch, same lines of the face, same slightly short hair cut, his hair greying at the temples.

He was dressed the same too. Flannel shirt over a undershirt, the hint of a gun holster under his left arm, the gun safely locked away down stairs along with every other artefact he had been carrying. Leather jacket, army pants, and combat boots finished the outfit, the only missing piece was the second holster with his stakes, taser, knife and holy water.

But there was a hardness to him, that fact more enhanced by the intricate tattoos he sported on both hands. When Willow had seen them she had been impressed, telling them that it was old Romani Magicks. With a few key phrases and chants muttered they could be used as weapons to attack or defend, the primary purpose being the ability to call living flame at will. The tattoo's were a powerful spell cast on the man, but it also would have been the easiest Xander could to perform by himself once the tattoos were a part of him.

"Why today...?" she said quietly.

It took a second before he realised she had asked him a question. He looked up at her and noticed she wasn't looking at him any more, her face blank as she stared into the corner of the room.

"What...?" Xander shook his head. All Faith did to answer was hold up the taser in front of herself. "Ah... W-we, Kate and I, were scheduled to come back today... We were in the local cave system two hours from here." he held up his hands in surrender.

"Doing what?"

"Giles said there was an infestation of Dentiumix Demons," at Faith's confused look he continued. "A fully grown Dentiumix Demon is about as tall as me and about as thick as a fridge, no neck, but a mouth that spans from shoulder to shoulder. Their skin is a dull greyish purple and they have talon like claws as well as two small arms in their chests, equally as deadly." he moved his hands to illustrate. "Small razor sharp spikes also cover their shoulders and back. Giles got word there was a nesting pair with a almost ready to hatch brood. He sent us."

"And that took you three days?" Faith raised an eyebrow.

"No," he smiled, shaking his head. "The nest took us about two hours, the three days was checking the cave system to make sure we didn't leave any eggs behind."

"Good," Faith let a small smile grace her face. "I would be worried if it took my Xand three days to clear a nest."

"I am your Xander..." he sighed.

Faith raised the taser before her, about to pull the trigger once more when Xander raised both hands.

"Wait, wait!" he called out. "I can prove it!"

"How?" Faith threatened, the taser still held aloft before her.

"The train..." He said softly. "Berlin, Thirteen."

* * *

 **Four Years Ago...**

He was grinning at her again. It wasn't that lopsided smirk he got sometimes when he thought she wasn't looking. It was sadder, full of something she couldn't quite place. And she had been watching him, she always was, especially lately...

He confused her.

Weirded her out sometimes too.

And not in a way that bugged her either.

Which was weird also.

It had been almost a year since they had started shacking up together, the pair much more than just Pseudo Watcher/Slayer now. She could understand it, deep down. He had changed. He wasn't just the goofball he had been when she first met him. Almost a year with Dracula had given him a darkness and the years in Africa had smoothed it out. Sometimes she wished she could go back in time and shown her young self a photo of what Xand looked like now. Tell her that the bright colours die down and the baggy clothes would eventually give way to lean muscles and many scars.

Then again, if she could do that she'd also warn her young self about all the crap she'd do due to one little mistake. But that was behind her now, no one cared, water over a crazed bitch's back or whatever. She still wasn't sure why she was still with him, well, apart from the obvious benefits he shared in the bedroom that is... If it wasn't for the slaying and the helping Slayers, would they be together? She stifled a laugh. She was cracking up, she knew it. She was calling the thing Xander and her had a 'Together'.

He had told her a couple months ago how he felt, had gone all out too. Found her a Nest she could dust all on her own, a rarity nowadays when training the juniors, then it was out to a techno club where she could dance and drink to her hearts content. When she had grown tired of all the vertical sweating and gyrating he had taken her to the nicest hotel she had ever seen. The rest of the night had been followed by horizontal sweating and gyrating, all cumulating in him blurting out a 'I Love You Faith' when they had finally called it a night and lay in each others arms naked on a thoroughly used bed.

He had insisted he didn't need to hear her say anything back, it was just enough he had told her and she hadn't kicked him out of the bed that instant. And she hadn't. She had laughed it off at the time, claiming if either of them could walk straight he would have been out on his ass already. But once he had fallen asleep she had stared at him, trying to read his scared face, trying to figure out what was wrong with him that he could feel those things for her...

She could make out his reflection in the trains large window as she looked out at the countryside that flittered past. He sat across the aisle from her, his body low in his seat, earbuds in, closing his eye every now and then, bopping his head slowly back and forth in time to whatever he was listening to. She turned to look at him when his eye opened again, but this time he didn't seem to look away. Instead his grin just seemed to get sadder.

She couldn't take it anymore and stood up, crossing the aisle to sit in the empty seat next to him. "What?" She almost demanded.

Xander quickly fumbled with his player and hit pause, pulling one of his earbuds out, and sitting up to face her. The grin not fading at all as he was confronted with a pissed off Slayer.

"Nothin'" he replied, looking her up and down.

"It's obviously somethin'," She gave him a stern look. "Ya keep giving me the lovie-dovie sad eye."

"I'm just thinking..." He said cryptically, putting the earbud back in.

"What is it?" She placed her hand on his tattooed one and took both earbuds from him.

"It's nothing..." he said with a sigh. Faith still didn't buy it and told him so by smacking him on the arm. "Fine." He rolled his eye before letting out a sigh. "Sometimes, when I look at you, I think about the past."

That had surprised her.

"Sometimes I... I wish I had known you growing up," he told her, moving closer to her. "We grew up kinda the same, my parents with the drinking, you with your parents and-"

"Ma passin' out every night, Pa not bein' able ta hold a job for more then 5 minutes and me havin' ta fend for myself while living in a slum?" Faith finished for him with a hint of bitterness.

"Yeah..." he looked down at his hands. "I only survived because I had Jessie and Willow... I never had it as bad as you. I think about that and what you went through before Diana pulled you out of there and I wish it was different."

"Can't change the past Xand..."

"No, no you can't..." he got a look in his eye as if he was hiding something.

"What got you thinking this way?" She looked at him sideways.

"There's this song." he held up his player. "It's by a band from the seventies, Big Star, every time I hear it I think of you and what our lives might have been like if we grew up together... Like, would we have been friends?" he looked at her, the sad grin still on his face. "Would we have hung out? Would we both have sought refuge with each other when our parents were out to get us?"

"You think about that stuff?" She asked him, surprise on her face.

"Yeah..." he looked into her eyes. "Here," he said, taking the earbuds from her and putting one in her ear and the other in his, she then watched him as he fumbled with the player cueing up the song. "Just listen."

As the song begun he watched his hands, his breathing low as Faith listened.

#Won't you let me walk you home from school?#  
#Won't you let me meet you at the pool?#  
#Maybe Friday I can#  
#Get tickets for the dance#  
#And I'll take you#  
#Oh, oh, oh#

She looked at him then, the sad grin on his face turning to concern as she began to frown.

#Won't you tell your dad to get off my back?#  
#Tell him what we said about "Paint It, Black"#  
#Rock and roll is here to stay#  
#Come inside now, it's ok#  
#And I'll shake you#  
#Oh, oh, oh#

"I hear this song and I can see it." he said as the instrumental part of the song began. "Walking the hallways of Junior High, bitching about our parents as we hang out during Summer, you knocking on my window at night because your parents are fighting and you need somewhere to hang till it blows over, or me doing the same at your window. I see me awkwardly trying to ask you out to junior prom, you punching me in the arm and telling me you were already planing on ditching with me if I didn't ask... But you were glad I did..."

It was at that moment the singer began again.

#Won't you tell me what you're thinking of?#  
#And would you be an outlaw for my love?#  
#If it's so then let me know,#  
#If it's "no", well, I can go.#  
#I won't make you - ooh#

"Y..." she cleared her throat, surprised at how dry and chocked up she was. "You hear that... And think all those things?" she asked, her eyesight becoming blurry.

"Y-yeah..." he reached up and cupped her cheek, his thumb moving to the side of her eye, wiping the tear that threatened to fall. "I love you. We both didn't deserve our childhoods, and if I had my way that is what I would have wanted."

He took the earbud from her ear and turned from her, looking out the window. Faith for her part turned so she was sitting back in her seat. Without looking at him she moved her hand to his on the arm rest, her fingers entwining with his.

"Xand?" she asked, her voice small.

"Yeah?" he turned back to her, concern in his voice.

"I ain't gonna say it..." she began, quickly cutting him off as he made to apologise. "But... I think... Me too..." she replied in barely a whisper.

He didn't say anything at first. Just stared at her, the sad grin being replaced with the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face.

"Really?" Xander finally said.

"Shut up," she smirked, looking away from him.

"No way!" he laughed. "I'm gonna sing it from the rooftops!" he got a goofy look on his face. "This calls for teeshirts, commemorative mugs, a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! We have to mark our calendars cos I'm celebrating this thing annually like christmas!"

"You breathe a word of this to anyone and they won't find your body..." she smiled sweetly at him, squeezing his hand tightly.

"Yes dear..." He smiled at her, sitting back in his seat, still holding hands.

* * *

"And I never did." Xander finished. "I still get asked why I always make sure you and me have the day off every August 5th..."

"My Xand never told anyone too..." she sagged on the spot, her shoulders heavy, the taser limp in her hand at her side. "He's gone..."

"Your Xander..." he sighed. "Your Xander? What is going on? Seriously... What happened to make me look like a bad guy? What happened in the three days we were away? Anya's alive, Giles says I never went back to Vlad... And you never even heard of Katie. It doesn't make sense, Katie adores you Faith, you're her hero..."

"You said you get the damaged slayers, why you?" She asked, the taser forgotten in her hand. "What did you do that was so bad?"

"Well, for one thing," he held up his hands to show her the tattoos. "I became drinking buddies with D'Hoffryn-" Xander suddenly got a serious look on his face. "D'Hoffryn!"

* * *

 **A/N 2:** This cliffhanger was always in the story, as I like to think its where this Xander went a bit dark and different to Faith's Xander.

So all you people talking about how it hasn't occurred to anyone in story that this Xander could be a doppelganger like Wishverse Willow... That's because I wanted to set something up! And now you'll just have to wait till next chapter to see what that is...

The train scene was one of the 1st scenes I envisioned when thinking about this fic, as years ago I would think about a girl I was going out with whenever I heard 'Thirteen by Big Star', except when I told her about what it brought up, she just laughed and said we would not have been friends... We broke up soon after. I'm still not quite sure about the scene, I might go back and edit it to either be less sappy, or try for more...

Hit me up with a review if you think its ok, or not, or if it can be improved, or just that I'm writing this wrong, I'm loving the long reviews guys!


	4. No Sacrifice, No Light

**Disclaimer in Chapter One - No Teachers, No Help, No Feelings, No Crying**

 **Author's Notes 1:** Next chapter up, sorry for the delay... And it might be the norm from now on... My passion for updating on this site is waning as no feedback means no drive to post here... Sorry.

* * *

 **Many Years Ago...**

"They came out better than I expected," Dracula smiled, holding one of Xander's freshly tattooed hands. "The spell work was tricky, but I believe you will find it was worth it in the end."

"I still don't know how I feel about this..." Xander said oblivious to Dracula's words as he stared at the corpse slumped in the corner of the room.

"She was a needed sacrifice," Dracula turned a lazy gaze at the lifeless body of the girl.

Xander frowned, staring at the glazed over eyes of the girl. Blood still dripped from her throat and coagulated on the stone floor. His master grabbed his other hand and continued to inspect his work. She had been so young, barely older than twenty. And he had ended her life.

For power.

He had tried to justify his actions as they had hunted her down. She had tortured a village. She maimed dozens and came close to killing innocent people, all in her quest for revenge and more magick. He and his master were doing the outlying villages a service by killing the rouge Witch. But he had done it, not his Master; he had performed the killing blow. He ended a human life by his own hand, moved the knife though her throat under his own free will. And why did she have to die? He had debated it over and over with the old Vampire. Why did she deserve to die when Willow had been in the same boat and saved?

But in the end the answer was always the same.

He did not know her, had never met her, he did not have a yellow crayon story to talk her down with. She hadn't killed anyone like Willow had, but the torture and pain... Drac had been impressed with the Witch's technique, and had expressed that under different circumstances, he would have liked to have brought her into his protection.

She wouldn't be dying in vain, would she? The power he took for himself would help to undo an injustice in the world. And if not, he will use it to end a Demon that had more blood on his claws than any Vampire or Witch combined.

"You are ready," Dracula smiled at his Manservant.

"I don't feel ready Master." Xander smiled weakly at the Vampire, trying to dismiss his thoughts of the dead Witch in the corner.

"Forget about her Alexander," Dracula soothed. "You needed power and you did not want to take it from an innocent. You should be grateful she had tainted her soul so much."

"But that's the thing Master," Xander sighed. "She had a soul, she was human... She was just like Willow..."

"No!" Dracula snapped, shaking Xander. "The Red Chovexani killed one man and only out of grief for her mate!"

"And she didn't," he all but yelled as he stepped around the Vampire. He crouched down next to the dark haired Witch's body. Her skin was now deathly white from the blood loss, the dark veins on her face now contrasted even more. He reached forward and closed her dark eyes with his tattooed hand, the ink still red and raw. "She tortured to find the men who killed her family."

"Andreea tortured an entire village!" Dracula growled. "And then when she had found those responsible for her slain family she all but destroyed them. If she had killed them once she was done it would have been a mercy, but she left them broken-"

"I could have talked her down, I've done it before." Xander berated himself.

"No, you could not." he stepped close to the crouched man, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Willow was a special case, even I can see that. Besides, you can help redeem her by using your new gifts to fix your heart."

"D'Hoffryn..." Xander stood up, his blood now pumping at the thought of the Demon Lord.

"Yes," Dracula smiled, putting an arm around him, leading him out of the small room and away from the mutilated corpse.

"You are sure this will be enough?" Xander asked, holding up his hands.

"Yes," they stopped at an ornate door, symbols and glyphs etched into the wood. "Blood of Magic, Tears of Vengeance, Power of Death and the Spark. This weapon will serve you well." Dracula smiled, a hand running over a rune etching in the wooden door, it was wet and red with blood. "I will leave you to your task," he placed a hand on his shoulder. "It is not too late, I could bring you into the Moroi, I know the Sisters would enjoy bringing you into the family."

"You flatter me Master," Xander blushed. "But if I ever wish to return to my friends..."

"I hate when you talk of leaving me." Dracula turned from him.

"I'm sorry Master," Xander sighed. "But you know that is my place."

"To kill my brethren." the Vampire spat.

"Stopping them from hurting innocents and destroying the world." he corrected.

"That is my saving grace is it?" Dracula turned back to his manservant. "I now only kill when threatened. You think me soft?"

"No, no," Xander took a step towards him. "You could drink a village dry in one night if you wished." he looked at him with admiration. "But I won't lie it makes me happy that you have curved your bloodlust since I joined you."

"Only for you," the Vampire smiled, cupping Xander's face. "The way you looked at me when we would hunt..." he shook his head, straightening up and holding Xander at arm's length to look him up and down. "But you have somewhere to be, I will leave you to your task." he clapped him on the shoulders.

"Thank you."

Dracula smiled once more before turning to leave.

"Master?" Xander called to his retreating form.

"Yes Alexander?" Dracula turned, his cape flaring, causing a smile to grace Xander's face as he revelled in the movie villain pose.

"Stay close?" He looked at his feet, unsure of himself. "Just in case...?"

"As you wish..." His master smiled, his fangs showing as he turned and continued walking.

Xander turned and stared at the large doors before taking a breath and clearing his mind. He smiled sadly as he pushed the heavy door open and walked in to the dark room, the door closing with a thud that echoed across the small room's stone floor and walls. Crouching in the middle of the room he detached a small pouch from his belt and began to pour red sand around him in a large circle. Once complete he knelt in the middle, beginning to chant the words his beloved had recited all those years ago.

"Beatum sit in nomina D'Hoffrynis," he pulled a small Amulet from his pocket, it had been stolen from his childhood friend a couple months ago before he joined his master. With a quick glance at the amulet he placed the string around his neck, making sure the symbol rested on his chest correctly. "Fiat hoc spatium. Porta ad mundum Arashmaharris" he intoned, the small metal object beginning to heat up.

The world around him turned dark.

He squashed his instinct to get ready for a fight and kept the place where he knelt in the darkness. Just as his eye was getting use to the lack of light a being began to shimmer into existence before him.

"Behold, D'Hoffryn, Lord of Arashmahaar..." The voice bellowed as the demon began to appear, his robes long and flowing, his hands tucked into the sleeves of each arm before him. He stood straight and rigid before the ex-carpenter. "He that turns the air to... Oh, it's you." the demon relaxed, rolling his eyes as he realised who had summoned him. He let out a sigh and took a more casual stance as he took in the ragged look of the man before him.

"It's the Gallant one, nice patch, is the Pirate look set for a comeback already?" The demon lord sneered with a chuckle.

"Well, those movies are popular." Xander let out with a sad smile.

Silence fell as Xander looked down at his hands, not sure where to start his request. D'Hoffryn watched the man, a small smile on his blue-ish grey, age lined face. He enjoyed the look of sorrow on the face of the one who had hurt his most prized creation.

"We fought..." he began. "We fought The First Evil," he could do this. "We won, but there were casualties."

D'Hoffryn's face lost its smile as the reason for his summoning slowly began to clear.

"She..." Xander paused. "Anya... She fought and lost. She fell at the hands of one of The First's followers, a Bringer. I wasn't with her, maybe if I had been..." He let the comment die on his lips. "It doesn't matter..."

"It does!" D'Hoffryn snapped.

"Yeah, you're right," Xander looked the demon in the eyes. "It was my fault..."

"Yes, it was..."

"...I taught her to stay, to not run away from those you cared about." Xander sighed.

D'Hoffryn let out a low growl, "You taught her to be Human!"

"Yes..." Xander hung his head.

"Why have you summoned me boy?" The demon looked down at the man before him. He didn't have time for this; he didn't have time for anything these days. Her Human friends might have moved on, but he himself had vowed to never forget her, she was his greatest creation after all. None would come close to reaching her bloodlust, well, maybe the Red Witch if she dipped into the dark again, but none under his charge could compare to her. "I do not have time to waste with her former bed mates."

"I called for this audience to ask a request from you..."

"A request, from me?" D'Hoffryn scoffed. "You dare ask me for something? You dare to show yourself to me and don't think I would tear you limb from limb?"

"Yes I dare!" Xander bellowed standing as D'Hoffryn took a step back at the outburst. Xander sighed, balling his fists and closing his eye to calm himself. "I... I want her back." he said in a small voice.

D'Hoffryn didn't answer right away, his own thoughts and memories playing before him as he thought of his lost child. And the pain he still felt whenever he tried to say her name. He wanted to be angry at the man for summoning him just to ask for this fruitless endeavour, but instead he felt one of his hearts break.

"I cannot..." He barely whispered.

"Huh?" Xander looked to the old Demon.

"I..." D'Hoffryn began his voice low. "I... Cannot, her death... It was non-magical..."

"What?"

"Non-Magical Death..." D'Hoffryn said again, this time his voice stern. "I cannot change..."

"What?!" Xander almost screamed. "You're D'Hoffryn! Lord of Arashmahaar!" he stepped forward "Arashmahaar, where demons are spawned." He repeated. "Of all the stories she used to tell of her old ways you were the one she claimed was the most powerful!"

"Yes!" D'Hoffryn snapped. "Power to create Vengeance. Unlimited Rage, a being of such immense importance that a small tick such as yourself could never understand!"

"Exactly!" Xander agreed.

"But even with all my powers I cannot change the laws of Magicks," D'Hoffryn growled. "You Humans! You scuttle around like the bugs and vermin you are, thinking you're the only beings in all the dimensions that ever cares for another!" he yelled, throwing his claw like hands up in frustration. "I made her! I pulled her out of the slime that is humanity and set her on her true path. I made her Anyanka!" He said triumphantly, saying her name for the first time out loud since he had felt her leave this world for the afterlife.

"So bring her back!" Xander cried. "Fold time! Reach into The Ether and pull her soul back to me!"

"I cannot..." The Demon looked to the ground. "She is finally lost to me... The Laws of-"

"-Magicks, yes..." Xander said solemnly, silence falling again as each felt the sorrow of their loss, a sorrow both recognised in the other.

"Anyanka... Was my favourite." D'Hoffryn said quietly. "If there had been anything..."

"The Laws of Magicks..." Xander interrupted.

"Yes..."

"No..." Xander replied with a look of determination on his face. "You cannot change the laws of Magicks, fine, but Anya created a whole dimension based on a casual wish made in anger. There were Vampire versions of both me and Willow, and yet we're both still alive here..."

D'Hoffryn studied the man before him before letting out a sigh. "And you would ask me to grant you such a wish?"

"Yes!" Xander nodded. "I just want her back; I want to be with her, to hear her laugh, to see her smile, for her to say my name, to smell and touch her hair as she wraps her arms around me in a hug. To watch her face light up as she counts money in a cash register, to have her lips touch mine, hear and feel her breath in my ear as she sleeps besides me. Her squeal of joy as she realises how much money is in her checking account. I want her back!" Xander raised his voice. "You have the power!"

"But do you have the sacrifice?" D'Hoffryn said softly. Xander paused as the demon stood to his full height. "The Magicks to create a whole other reality takes a substantial sacrifice as well as power. Anyanka only managed to create that other world with help from the Hellmouth's presence and the Chase girls' life."

"So you can do it?" Xander looked up at the Demon Lord. "You can grant me my wish if I give a sacrifice big enough?"

"Yes," D'Hoffryn grinned. He had the man, all he had to do was get him to wish Anyanka was alive and he would take him. "Are you willing to sacrifice what you hold in your heart?"

"No..." Xander's shoulders slumped. "Not me..."

"What?" The demon gasped.

"The only sacrifice I'm willing to give up is you." Xander sneered, his fist flying before him, catching the Master Demon on the chin.

D'Hoffryn was caught off guard, it had been almost millennia since someone dared to strike a blow at the powerful demon, let alone any that could actually hit him. The second blow forced him back, surprise still plastered on his face.

"You think I turned her into a human?" Xander yelled. "At least she had a life with me!" He grabbed the demon by the collar of his robes and threw him across the void they stood in. "She was happy!"

D'Hoffryn let out a half groan, half bark of laughter as he picked himself up. "She was happy? Really? Is that why you left her at the alter and she came under my employ a second time?" he snarled, ripping off his outer robe to reveal himself dressed in a tabard that matched his robes, his own seal emblazoned on his chest. He moved into a fighting stance, his claws outstretched before him.

Xander charged, fists raised as D'Hoffryn snarled, swiping him with his claws. Xander felt his shirt rip and his flesh tear on his chest as the claws raked across his left pectoral muscle. He let out an anguished yell as he swung and caught the demon on the chin, D'Hoffryn merely smirking as his other claw caught him on his side, four more gashes being rendered into Xander's flesh as the carpenter managed to knee him in the stomach.

Xander let out a grunt of anger and pain as the demon backhanded him away, the old lord trying to force air back into his lungs. Xander took the small break in the fight to mentally chastise himself as he placed a hand on each wound, his blood now coating his shirt. He had acted in anger and ignored the plan he had spent months creating with his Master. He closed his eye, centring himself as he began to mutter the chant he had learnt, the one his Master had taught him. D'Hoffryn's eyes went wide for a moment as he picked up the rise of power the boy suddenly had.

"But she still returned to being human didn't she D'Hoffryn!" Xander yelled as he raised an open palm. "You forget I was there. I saw what you did to change her back, I saw the sacrifice!" his hand began glowing brighter and brighter before a ball of bright orange flame burst into existence in his grasp, his entire hand covered in the bright flame, the fire dancing across his skin. "Never go for the kill when you can go for the pain!" Xander grabbed the demon by his robes, "No Slayer to hold me back this time!"

Xander's fist hit the Demon Lord across the face, his skin sizzling from the impact, his beard smoking as it began to smoulder. Xander smiled as the demon took blow after blow from him, its mouth bloody now, several fangs either cracked or broken fully, and lying on the floor around them. D'Hoffryn tried to grab at the man, his magical energies trying to stop the living flame from consuming him with each blow, the effort forcing him to his knees.

"Do you like it?" Xander sneered, pausing his attack, showing the vivid fireball that covered his fist to the demon. "Living Flame, I had to taint myself just to get the runes to stick, and it's all for you," he said as D'Hoffryn's eyes went wide as he truly realised what that meant. "Living Flame, one of the most powerful weapons you could use against evil, or anything really." he made to punch the demon once more.

D'Hoffryn caught the fist this time, the two of them struggling with each other. Xander tried to push his hand to flare more, D'Hoffryn fighting through the pain to overpower the man.

"It really is neat, isn't it?" Xander asked as he stained against the demon. "Because unlike most other weapons like Stakes, Holy Water, or Swords, Living Flame destroys everything... Everything except...?"

"Magicks..." D'Hoffryn gasped before letting out a wail of pain as the man's fist flared, flames bursting though the demon's claw, burning it to the bone.

"Yes, Magicks" Xander let go of the Demon Lord, D'Hoffryn fell, pulling the remains of his claw to his chest to distinguish the flame. "Now," Xander huffed, straightening his back to look down at the demon. "You're gonna grant me my wish. And you're gonna sacrifice yourself, for her..."

"Yes..." D'Hoffryn mumbled, interrupting, staring at the remains of his claw. It was black, most of the flesh gone now, parts of his bone exposed and cracked from the heat. It was useless to him now, besides the pain he could not feel the appendage, couldn't move it. "Do it. Just do it."

Xander paused.

"Do It!" D'Hoffryn screamed up at him before turning back to his burnt flesh. "Strike me down! It will bring her back," he began to move his remaining hand in front of himself, magicks beginning to swirl into existence. They slowly coalesced into a shimmering globe between the two, and in the centre, as if moving through a fog came a visage of Anya, long haired and smiling as she excitedly spoke to someone unseen, silent.

"Wha-?"

"Do it!" The demon bellowed, tears welling in his eyes as he tucked his disfigured hand into his robes. "I should never have taken her from her life all those years ago..." he sighed. "But her creativity was one of the most interesting I had ever seen, turning her bed mate into a troll, genius." D'Hoffryn sighed. "I miss her... I miss her so much."

Xander took a step back from the Demon Lord, his anger subsiding slightly as he stared at the happy Anya in the sphere before him.

"She was ruthless, always her mind, heart and soul on the job... She was perfect." D'Hoffryn too stared at the sphere, reaching out his remaining claw to cup the visage of Anya, his fingers moving through the illusion. "I deserve it, kill me," he muttered, his claw falling into his lap and he looked past the sphere and into Xander's remaining eye. "Strike me down boy, all you have to do is dispose of me and she will be returned; only my death can bring her back..."

Xander stared at the Demon, tears falling freely down its face. He looked back to the vision of Anya, as his own eye began to tear up, pain building up behind his patch as the damaged tear duct tried to shed a tear. Tiredly Xander extinguished the Living Flame, silence falling once again over the pair. Neither looked at the other, their loss and grief washing away their hopes of seeing the Ex-Demon again. After a few moments D'Hoffryn glanced up at the one eyed man standing over him, when it was apparent he wasn't going to kill him he stood up himself, brushing off his knees and hugging his mutilated claw closer to his chest.

The sphere before him continued to show Anya, smiling and laughing as she went about her day somewhere in some other reality where she had survived. Reaching his claw out to the sphere it slowly reduced in size until it could fit into his palm. He plucked the spell out of the air and put it into his robes, Xander watching him sadly. The Demon Lord looked about them into the darkness before turning back to the ex-carpenter.

"Do you want to get a drink?" D'Hoffryn spoke with a heavy sigh.

"Oh, Good, Gods, Yes!" Xander sighed himself, holding his bleeding side. "Send us back to the Castle and Dracula can come too."

"Dracula...?" D'Hoffryn raised an eyebrow at the man as he waved his claw and they returned to the small room Xander had begun his summoning. "Maybe I miss judged you..."

* * *

"And now Anya's alive..." Xander finished his tale. "But why would he do this now after all these years? We were over it, we both agreed, he looked me right in the eye patch and said it didn't hurt to think of her. He didn't even care that I had destroyed his hand, he said his new claw was even more bloodthirsty than the last..."

"You killed a woman?" Faith asked, staring at Xander as he was deep in thought.

"A Witch," Xander said quickly. "But you know this..." When Faith's staring look didn't change he began to clarify. "Andreea, her family was caught in the crossfire of a shootout between rival gangs; they were hit by stray bullets as the gang members fired blindly at each other. She delved into a Dark Magicks hole even Willow wouldn't have been able to pull herself out of. In her quest to find the men responsible and get revenge she tortured and mutilated anyone who stood in her way, men, women, children, whole families were left broken in her wake..." he looked down at his hands. "I absorbed most of her power into my tattoos, amongst others. I don't have power like Willow has; I'm just a Watcher with a few tricks up his sleeves, and even then I get depleted pretty fast... I'm not sure if it was worth it sometimes, her life for my party tricks... Sometimes I still hear the noises she made as I used the knife..." his shoulders slumped.

Before Faith to ask another question the door to the room opened, a redheaded slayer quickly entering.

"What?" Faith asked pointedly.

"Sorry Faith," The slayer stared at Xander, a look of hatred on her face. "Dracula stormed the grounds, went right for the girl that came with him." she took a step closer to Xander's cage, eyeing him. "I was ordered to guard this as they dealt with the Vampire."

"Good, he'll take care of her until I get out of here." Xander sighed. "I just hope he doesn't do anything to the person who put Katie in those chains." he said quietly, his hands glowing for a second as he made fists.

"What did you just say?" the slayer said, an edge in her voice as her hand rested on the taser on her hip, her other hand to the small of her back where Xander assumed she kept her knife.

"Nothing," Xander looked her up and down. "Who are you? You don't look familiar."

"Name's Sam," she relaxed her arms, pulling a small axe from behind her back. "Sam Walker."

"Walker, Walker..." Xander repeated as he hid the surprise at seeing the axe. "Nope, sorry."

"Not as sorry as you'll be unless you tell us who you are." Sam took a step closer threateningly, the axe rose in her hand, Xander now recognising it.

"That will be all Sam." Faith instructed.

"Where did you get my Axe?"

"How dare you show up here," Sam continued, the axe held before her as if she were going to fight him.

"That's my favourite Axe! Who said you could take my Axe?"

"I figured Xand would be fine with me using it on the thing that looks like him. Do you have any idea what your presence is doing to everyone?" Xander looked at her confused. "Why did you have to pick that face? Why today? Huh? Did you think we would be grateful and welcome you with open arms?"

"Lady, I don't know what you're talking about." Xander held out his hands. "I just wanted to come home, shower and get some sleep, maybe have a tumble with Faith if she was agreeable-"

"How dare-!" Sam began, moving to swing the axe at the magical barrier of Xander's cage.

Neither of them saw Faith move, only the aftermath as she slammed Sam down on the table, one armed pinned under her chest, the other twisted behind her, the axe falling to the floor as Faith's knee dug into her back. The dark Slayer pulled the young Slayers head back by her long red hair, a sneer on her face.

"Sam, knock it off!" she almost growled. "I buried the only man I actually cared about that didn't try to screw me over today, and tasered another that not only looks like him, but might actually be him..." she let the girl go, the slayers head bumping onto the table with a thump. "J-just... Enough..." she let out a shuddering sigh before pulling out the chair from the table and sitting down in the corner of the room, her head in her hands, her body feeling drained.

Xander slowly slid down the magical barrier at his back, his gaze somewhere off into the middle distance as he processed what Faith had let slip. She buried...? They thought he was... Dead.

Dead.

His mind tried to understand. He tried to wrap his head around this new information.

"W-we... We buried you," Faith whispered as she stared off into the middle distance, herself, not looking at Xander, but not looking elsewhere.

"What...?" he asked his girlfriend softly.

"You died..." Faith sniffed, the tears again welling in her eyes.

"Faith!" Sam hissed, still rubbing her neck after being held by the older Slayer.

"Three days ago," Faith ignored the stern slayer. "You took a group of Firsties out on a field trip to a mausoleum. It had been a nest, cleared out a couple days before, it was normal," she paused, looking down at her hands. "You had done it a hundred times before, showin' the girls the signs to look for when patrolling, but..."

"I didn't..." Xander paused, his head reeling.

"They must have missed a couple..." Faith blanched, closing her eyes. "You told the girls to run, get to an on patrol Slayer in case there was more as you handled the Vamps... When they got back with help you were on the floor, bleeding out, covered in Vamp dust... Oh God X..." she sniffed shaking her head. "You were so pale when they brought you in... You were cold..."

"Some of us were pissed that Xander dusted the Leeches," Sam added. "There was nothing to hunt down and torture..." she sneered.

"Faith, I...?" Xander began, standing and placing a hand on the magical barrier before him. He closed his eyes and concentrated before his hand went through the barrier, his body followed.

He moved in front of Faith and knelt down, pulling her into his arms as she began to cry earnestly, her arms moving to hug him.

"What the F-" Sam began, her hand once again moving to her taser.

"Back off!" Xander growled, levelling a steely gaze at the slayer as he stroked Faith's hair and she wept in his arms.

"Sam, stand down!" Willow entered the room, stopping in the doorway, staring at the embracing couple on the ground.

"Ma'am," Sam straightened as she came to attention.

"Will," Xander nodded at the Witch as he continued to soothe the crying Slayer in his arms.

"Xander..." She gulped, her face a mixture of happiness and sadness.

"What's going on?" he pleaded, holding Faith tighter.

"We're about to find out."

* * *

Giles directed him and the two Slayer sisters down a brightly lit corridor, bright windows letting the evil sunlight in all around him. He had been assured that the harmful rays that would burn him to a crisp were not a risk by some special glass, but he quickened his step if ever a beam crossed his path. People, slayers, Watchers and others watched him as he followed the head Watcher, the Head Slayer and her sister following behind, in a sort of silent guard, the effect losing power with Dawn's silent tears all while staring at the young girl in Dracula's arms.

The girl still clung to him, still trembled slightly in his arms at each quick movement or loud noise. Dracula was not sure how he felt at the moment. He was the Prince of Darkness, and here he was cradling a crying child and speaking softly to her in a caring voice to help soothe her. He chastised himself silently, he did not care for the people around him, they could all rot for letting his manservant fall, but because he sensed his power in the girl, the same power he could sense in the building getting closer, he felt for the young slayer. He was getting sentimental in his old age; it was the curse of Xander Harris, a curse he had welcomed in the short time the man had been under his thrall.

They were soon in a part of the building that had an almost old world feel, rich carpets and dark woods lined the walls and floor, a sharp contrast to the other buildings, all school campus and brand new despite being over ten years old. They were soon joined by another Watcher, the man who had performed the service for Xander. Gordon Wylie nodded to Giles as he fell in step next to the man.

"The others are waiting in Conference Room One Sir," Gordon informed Giles.

"Thank you old friend," Giles smiled to the man. "Is Chuma and his daughter Dalili there?"

"Yes Sir," Gordon nodded.

"Anya and-"

"Yes Sir," Gordon cleared his throat quickly, casting a quick glance at Dracula.

"Good, good, good..." Giles nodded too. "Willow?"

"She is bringing him as we speak..." Gordon's face contorted in a grimace. "And I did as you asked. He is still there." He watched Dracula again as they came to a stop at a large door. "I felt... Given the circumstances, that I would leave him there, he's earned the rest..."

"Yes, I agree." Giles sighed. "Only Xander would crash his own wake..." Both Watchers gave a sly look to Buffy; the Slayer in response just crossed her arms. "Yes, well, shall we?" Giles opened the door and gestured Dracula and the Slayers to enter before him.

When Dracula had walked into the large conference room before everyone, the girl still in his arms had tightened her grip around his neck as he stopped at seeing all of the beings assembled. Drac looked around the large mahogany table and the many faces seated around it he recognised from the service for his Manservant. The old man who had blessed the coffin regarded him with a careful eye, even as the woman standing behind him leaned down to whisper something to him, the old man waving her away. He let out a low growl as he was directed passed the chief Vengeance Demon D'Hoffryn, the Demon Lord sneering back from his seat as Anya, sitting next to him placed a hand on his shoulder.

Giles gestured to a chair at the other end of the table and Drac looked, with slight disdain, at the black leather office chair before sighing unnecessarily and sat, Kate now sitting in his lap. As soon as he settled her arms moved from around his neck to around his waist and underneath his cape, a small snigger sounding from D'Hoffryn.

"Something amuses you?" Drac hissed at the bearded Demon.

"I was not aware you had turned nurse maid." D'Hoffryn outright laughed, sitting back in his chair.

"It has been awhile since I ripped out a Demon's throat," Drac threatened. "Especially one as old as you, do not make me start with you..."

"I'll help," Kate said in an audible whisper. "I don't care what happens... He's all I've got now..."

"Shhh my child," Dracula soothed, looking into her eyes.

"I wouldn't go counting me out just yet..."

Kate froze, her eyes going wide as she stared at Dracula, a warm smile slowly gracing his face. Her eyes began to water again as she silently pleaded with the Vampire to confirm who had spoken, the old demon nodding his head slowly before turning to the entrance of the room. Kate took a deep breath before looking at the entrance herself, a large smile breaking out on her face as she sprang from the dark one's arms.

"Xander!" Kate yelled, jumping across the room in the blink of an eye, Xander caught the slayer, staggering back at the force she propelled herself at him and let out a small grunt as she grasped him with all her might.

"Theysaidyouweredeadandburiedandtheyputmeinchainsagain,he'shere,he'scomingforme,I'magoodgirl,I'mnotdirty,I'mnot! Pleasedon'tlethimtakeme! I'mnotDIRTY!" She began to whisper hysterically as she got worked up again, Dawn sunk into a seat next to Dracula, tears starting anew at the sound of the distraught teenager.

"Hey, hey, shhh..." He held the girl, stroking her hair as she cried in his arms, her grip on him tight and almost cutting off his air supply, but he didn't care as they both sank to their knees. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere... Shhh..."

"But... H-he's gonna take me away..." Kate said with a whimper.

"No he's not," Xander said with an edge to his voice. "What have I always said to you about your Grandfather?"

"The n-next time you saw him you were gonna use more than y-your fists to stop him..." she replied meekly.

"Yes, like my shotgun or my longsword," He moved a strand of hair behind her ear. "And what else did I tell you?"

"That none of the Scoobies would ever let him near me," she said with more confidence.

"And?" He looked to Dracula and the confused look on the monsters face.

"And Dee would drain him dry if he ever laid eyes on me, let alone was in the same state as me..." she turned to Dracula, sniffing slightly.

"Exactly..." he wiped a tear off her puffy cheek with his thumb. "So stop being a dummy, give me another hug and then we'll sort everything else out." he smiled down at her as her own smile grew and she buried her face into his neck.

"I thought I was alone..." she whispered, those with supernatural senses hearing her.

"Yep... Dummy..." he squeezed her tighter before lifting them both up and directing them over to Dracula again. "Sit with Dee," he gestured the girl back to the Vampire. "Master, can you help sooth her."

"As you wish my Alexander," Drac smiled up at his confusedly.

"I'm guessing you don't know who she is either huh?" Xander placed a hand on the Vamps shoulder as Kate crawled into Drac's lap.

"No, but..." he began stroking the girls head on instinct. "She feels familiar, as you once did, all those years ago..."

"That's because you put her under your protection just as you did me."

"You do not have my protection anymore," it was a statement more than a question.

"No, you helped me long ago too..." he held up his hands and Dracula's eyes widened at the sight of the tattoos.

"Did you kill the Idiotule?" He smirked. "Was răzbunare satisfied?"

"Nu," Xander glanced over his shoulder at D'Hoffryn and Anya next to him. "I-am arătat milă..." at Dracula's disapproving look Xander shook his head quickly; the Vamp looked around the room quickly before nodding. "Vei sta lângă mine, dacă am nevoie de ea?" Xander asked the Vamp in Romani.

"Da," Drac nodded.

"Vă mulțumesc maestru," Xander bowed before turning to Giles, his face darkening. "Now," he returned to English. "Who the hell put Katie in chains?!" He turned an angry look at the council members in the room.

"Xander, we were following protocol." Giles stepped forward. "We had an unknown slayer on the Campus grounds..."

"I-it's OK Giles..." Dawn took a breath before squaring her shoulders and stood before Xander. "I did it..." She looked him square in the face, her own a mix of regret and resignation. "I was on auto-pilot, I was thinking about today and then you came back and... And then I saw her on the floor... She looked so small... I..." She sniffed, tears again threatening to fall as she straightened her back and tried to school her features.

Xander watched her, looking Dawn up and down, a curious look on his face. He felt like yelling, he felt like hitting someone, if it had been anyone else he might have floored them by now too. Then a light clicked on in his head, he took in her appearance, how she stood before him, how she had fluidly stood from her chair and now how she held herself as she confessed her part in Kate's imprisonment. He looked Dawn in the eye and the woman stared back resolved to her fate. He gave a small nod to her before balling a fist and punching her square in the jaw.

The woman staggered back from the blow, her hand going to her now split lip as she shook off the stars she had momentarily seen before her eyes. Buffy took a step forward, as did Giles and Willow, ready to defend Dawn, whereas Faith stood passively, staring at Kate.

"I deserved that..." Dawn said, straightening up and moving her jaw back and forth.

"Yes," Xander said in thought. "And believe me, I wouldn't normally do that, not to you Dawn, but I had to check a theory..."

"And what theory was that?" Buffy said behind Dawn, an edge to her voice, her own fists clenched tightly at her sides.

"Dawn's a slayer." he gave her an up and down look again.

"Yeah, and?" Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"She isn't on my world." Xander turned from the sister slayers and to the Vengeance Demon sitting next to Anya. "And speaking of my world, what did you do?" He strode over to D'Hoffryn, resisting the urge to grab the demon around the neck. "Why did you bring us here?"

"Me?" D'Hoffryn turned a lazy eye over Xander. "Why would I bring you back? This is the first time either of us has actually spoken to each other as far as I can recall."

"Oh really?" Xander leaned forward. "Then how would I know..." He leaned into the Demon Lord's ear to whisper.

D'Hoffryn's eyes shoot wide and he jumped up, his chair falling to the floor as he hissed, baring is teeth and raised a claw, ready to slash at the one eyed man. Dracula watched from his seat, silently pleased his Manservant could get such a rise out of the old one, the others in the room growing tense.

"How do you know that name?" D'Hoffryn all but yelled. "No one has uttered that name to me since the Old Ones fought to stay in this realm."

"You get chatty when you get drunk." Xander said simply. "Now, what did you do?" He asked again, his hands again balling to fists. "You told me you were over her; we both agreed she was finally at peace!" Xander said with a growing anger. "You said you would not bring her back to me, to us..." He shot a quick glance to Anya than back to the demon.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," D'Hoffryn sneered.

"Really? 'I miss her so much Xander, she was my best student, and she was more of a daughter to me than any of my offspring, the carnage she could cause...' The amount of times you would start muttering about her after a few dozen ales..." Xander said in a voice mocking the Demon Lord.

"Xander, as I said before," Giles stepped forward. "Anya never perished on S-Day..."

"She did in my world!" Xander said over his shoulder as Anya let out a gasp at Giles' words.

Not wasting any time Anya grasped the necklace she wore with both hands and began to whisper to herself. Her face changed, wrinkled, veins popping out as she embraced her demon side and her Magicks.

"He's right..." She said lowly. "It's there, just on the edge, he is from another world, and one I'm not a part of... But..." She closed her eyes and bowed her head; D'Hoffryn moved behind her and placed a claw on her shoulder. "I can't see..."

"I can," D'Hoffryn said, his own eyes closed. "But the Magicks are clouded... Not of our ilk, not Vengeance, not mine." Willow crossed the room and placed her hand on Anya's shoulder as well, her eyes closed as she too tried to follow the same Magicks they were.

"I think I recognise it..." Willow's face screwed up. "The energy that brought you both..."

"Ah-hum" Chuma raised his hand, a sheepish look on his face. "I might have done this..."

"Not this again..." Xander rolled his eye, turning back to the old man and his daughter.

"Yes this again Alex," the old man smiled. "I mixed the brew myself; Africa has blessed you and brought you back to us."

"I only saved some cows, that don't mean I should get eternal life." Xander sighed.

"You saved my life." Dalili, Chuma's daughter said behind him with a small blush.

"And our Villages livelihood." Chuma added. "Not to mention the treaty you brokered with the Mapopobawa-"

"I didn't do shit but trap the Popobawa, Dalili was the one who wrote up the contracts." Xander waved the old man off again. "And besides, I don't think your brew worked..." Xander said looking around the room. "I'm not... He's not..."

"Our Xander is still in his final resting place." Gordon stepped forward, his head bowed.

"Then I was not successful either," Dracula spoke up.

"Master," Xander said without thinking.

"I added my own Dirt, my Magicks to the grave; I had hoped you would find your way back to me, but..." He looked down at the girl in his arms. "But I suspect this one would not be here if I had succeeded." He trailed off as Kate hugged him tighter.

"So..." Xander looked around the room. "How did we get here? When did we get here?"

* * *

 **Days Before the Wake...**

"The Light has gone out."

Hushed whispers grew amongst the gathered demons.

"What shall we do?"

"The Light! The Hellmouth it truly gone now, we will starve!"

"This mouth will not sustain us for very long!"

"This is the end of us, the Light!"

"This is grave, grave in deed..." The eldest one murmured, playing with his short beard at the end of his pointed chin.

"All this time preparing," a demon next to him shook his head. "It was meant to be our salvation!"

"The vessel is no more!" a female demon cried, throwing its claws up into the air. "We will die, the Old Ones will awaken!" it shrieked.

"No..." the eldest demon said, reaching into its robes.

"The energies will awaken them!" the demon shrieked again. "We cannot contain them without the Hellmouth! The Light!"

"No..." the eldest said again, the others looking to him as he pulled his claw from his robes and threw something on the floor.

"The Well will swell with their awakening!" she cried as all others quietened and looked to their eldest.

"No!" the eldest said more forcefully, pointing to the ground and the objects he had thrown. "Look, the Spiritus, the Animus, the Sophus, the Manus, the Tenebris..."

The female demon looked down at the bones and tokens that lay on the ground, she too reading what they showed.

"There is another," she gasped pointing a claw to the symbol that showed the Manus. "But how can that be, the Light..."

"There..." the eldest pointed. "The Adulescens, they are connected to the Animus."

"And the Tenebris," another demon pointed to the three symbols. "But the Animus fades..."

"No, it breaks through..." the eldest reached into its robes again and pulled out a book. "Here," he said opening it to a page and pointing to a spell. "And we will help it, or risk the old Ones awakening."

"The plan can continue?' the female demon asked.

"The Light will shine again; the Hellmouth will be whole once more..."

* * *

 **Author's Notes 2:** Who are these new demons? Will there be ramifications to Xander hitting Dawn? What did Xander say to Dracula? (That last one is easy to figure out if you want to, I only used google translate... But its not required if you don't... I wouldn't)

Please review, I like the email buzz I get on my pebble time.


	5. No Peeking, No Lake

**Disclaimer in Chapter One - No Teachers, No Help, No Feelings, No Crying**

 **Author's Notes 1:** Here you go, hopefully this can make some readers comeback and give this thing a chance.

 **PS:** There are some more phrases in another language in this chapter. Just like last time I just used google translate so I don't know how accurate they will be, then again, it's not integral to the story for you guys to know what is being said.

* * *

"So, a Vamp attack," Xander spoke up, "That's how I - H-he died?"

"Yes," Giles answered.

They were still in the Conference room, all sitting around the large table, Kate still in Dracula's lap, Buffy still watching Xander closely, Dawn watching Kate and the others watching them.

"Well, not exactly how I would have wanted to go out, but at least I got the Vamps in the end." Xander half laughed.

"How would you have liked to die?" D'Hoffryn cocked an eyebrow at the man.

"On my deathbed at a hundred and something surrounded by busty nurses who like to give sponge baths?" he shrugged.  
"A worthy goal for any a man..." Dracula chuckled along with his Manservant; Kate blushed and swatted his shoulder, giving Xander a disapproving look. "Sorry," he found himself saying.

"Sorry Katie..." Xander looked down at his hands.

"You said you were in a local cave system?" Giles spoke up with a clearing of his throat. "You were clearing out a nest of Dentiumix Demons..."

"Ugly big things..." Kate spoke up. "But they turned out easy to kill. The eggs on the other hand..."

"Yes, they would have been difficult to destroy..." Giles rubbed his chin in thought. "You would have had to cleanse each one before smashing them, what did you use?"

"A Lolata stone Will's Lab knocked up." Xander supplied, Giles and Gordon nodding together in understanding. "It was a pain to recite the cleansing rite over a hundred times."

"You gave up after only ten!" Kate sat up straight on Dracula's lap. "You made me do the rest!"

"I'm your Watcher, I was teaching you," Xander raised a finger in point. "Now if you ever come across those eggs again you will not only know how to identify them, but what to use to destroy them."

"You were lazy..." Kate shook her head, her face seemingly happier than before as she playfully argued with her Watcher and Guardian.

"Watcher," Xander pointed to himself, then to Kate. "Slayer, which means you do as I say, even when I tell you to cleanse the majority of a Dentiumix's clutch of eggs. Besides I dealt with the second clutch we found."

"There were only five in that batch!"

"And I cleansed them," Xander smiled at the girl. "Watcher, slayer." he pointed again.

"And where is the Lolata stone now?" Giles interrupted the pair. "That is quite a powerful artefact."

"It should be making its way back to the Lab now," Xander turned back to the Head Watcher. "Kate dropped off our gear back at the armoury, right?" he turned to Kate.

"Right, I returned everything except my personal sword to The Locker," she nodded.

"I will track it down Sir," Gordon said as Giles looked to him. They nodded to each other and the man got up from his seat.

Willow from her seat waved her hand over the table and a small red light appeared before zooming off into the wall. "My people have been informed; they will help you track it down."

"Good." Giles smiled to the Witch before sitting forward. "Now, is there anything you can think of that was out of the ordinary that happened while you were in the cave system?"

"No, ah..." Xander turned to Kate, the slayer shaking her head. "We entered, found the nest about twenty minutes into the caves, killed the Dentiumix Demons-"

"Hack off the legs and arms, then a downward sword into the middle of the head," Kate informed the Head Watcher as if she was giving an after action report. "Making sure to bisect the upper and lower jaws all the way down to the second set of smaller arms in the chest." she then ran a hand through her hair and the dried goo that she had forgotten about. "On a side note, be careful when performing the bisecting, as the brains have a tendency to explode out." she ended in a whimper as she looked at her dirty hair.

"Then we performed the cleansing on the eggs, afterwards we searched the rest of the caves." Xander continued. "I didn't want to come back if we missed any of the eggs. Those things can multiply quickly. After about two days we made camp, I cast some boundary spells and we slept a couple hours. The last day we couldn't go any further into the caves so we began to trek back. We emerged from the caves, and then made our ways back to the school."

"Nothing else happened?" Willow asked.

"No, nothing that I can-"

"Yes!" Kate interrupted Xander. "There was that flash of light when we found the second clutch of eggs."

"I told you, that must have been a boundary spell like the ones I cast when we made camp. Those last two demons were alerted to our presence and attacked to save the eggs."

"Can you describe the light?" Willow asked, sitting forward.

"Ah..." Xander looked to Kate. "It was a sort of glow?"

"It was golden," Kate closed her eyes as she tried to describe it. "It seemed to come from nowhere, and yet everywhere at the same time, I tried to shield my eyes but I still saw it. As it flared we both fell to our knees, when it cleared the small clutch of eggs was in front of us, and two Dentiumix's emerged from behind some large rocks that weren't there before..."

"No, no those rocks were there before the light..." Xander frowned as he thought about it. "And the eggs... Weren't they?" he turned to Kate. "Wait, the glow also shook the cave as well, I remember falling rocks..."

* * *

 **A Day Before the Wake...**

The eldest demon, Mortin, stood in the centre of the gathered demons. He stood naked, his pale green scales painted here and there with ceremonial paint, the crude paste of spit and white rock dust flaking off him as he gyrated with the spell. He raised his thin arms over his head, the bones under his thin skin looking sharp and as if any second they would break through his emaciated flesh. His snout pointed to the cave ceiling above him as his prehensile tail held the prayer book in front of him. The other demons, around eleven, though robed, were similarly pale green scaled, thin armed, their snouts pointed to the ground as each bowed up and down from their kneeling position.

Mortin called on the dying power they had left, focusing it into the ether to pull the one they needed. He felt the power reach out, he felt it grasp the wanted, he felt it... Bounce. The power bounced against another, throwing it about, then bounced off of yet another power, and then another... Spells put in place by some unseen Masters. The elder demon shook himself as he encountered the other powers and raised his voice, the other demons joining him, using more of the dwindling power they had left.

The cave began to shake, dust and loose rocks falling around the demons as they continued to grow louder, the robed demons bowing faster now. Their snouts were scrapping on the ground now as they began to put more force into their genuflecting, shaking their arms to the cave ceiling above them, their tails joining in as well. With one final yell Mortin finished the prayer and the cave was awash with an ethereal golden light, the kneeling demons stopped their bowing and lay their heads on the ground, each shying away from it.

When the light faded Mortin was breathing hard and hunched over, the spell taking a toll on his body as well as his strength. He called to him his staff; the knotted and ugly branch he had long ago been forced to rely on flew to his outstretched hand. He grasped it and straightened up slightly to look at where the light had come from. He quickly looked around with a speed that seemed contrary to his age and body.

"No..." He fell to a knee, his grip on his staff slipping. "He is not here..."

Heads around him sprang up; cries of horror joined them as they each looked around the cave.

"NO!"

"The Mouths will truly die!"

"We are ruined!"

"The tribe will perish!"

"And The Old Ones will awaken!"

"Father," A youngish demon moved to Mortin's side, draping a cloak over the elder. Unlike the other demons, this one looked strong and powerful, her lithe body was at its peak physical condition.

"The Animus..." He croaked, turning to his daughter. "He should be here, Guardie, I felt him, I felt the Adulescens with him... I felt them cross..."

"Then where are they?" Guardie asked her Father.

"I do not know, but they are in this world now," he looked around at the other demons, curling a clawed finger around his short beard. "We must begin the migration, prepare for the journey to the Mouth of the Dale, once we have finished they will join us," He closed his eyes, the spell having taken a toll on his frail body. "Of this I am certain..."

* * *

Faith didn't look up. She had been given a seat, but paid little attention to the goings on around her. She kept looking at her hands, staring at the palms as she clenched them into fists and then let them go, over and over.

"Faith!" Buffy called out, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Huh, yeah, what?" She jumped, turning to the head Slayer as if noticing her for the first time. "Yeah Buff?"

Buffy watched the woman for a second as Faith saw that only Buffy, Dawn and Giles were left in the room with her.

"Are you ok?" Buffy asked, concern on her face.

"I..." she had been about to say 'I'm fine' and give the others a small smile when she stopped herself and slumped her shoulders. "I-I don't know..." she sniffed, returning her gaze to her hands. "Where did...?" she looked up to the empty room.

"Willow took Xander and Kate to her lab; she thinks she knows what the strange light they saw in the cave was. Dracula accompanied them along with Chuma and Dalili." Giles took off his glasses and polished them quickly.

"Oh..." She made to stand up. "I guess I should join-"

"It's ok, it's ok..." Buffy pushed her back down into the seat before taking the one next to her. "They'll be fine; we're more worried about you."

"Me?" She looked from Buffy then to Dawn and Giles.

"Yes," Dawn moved and gave her a hug. "Of course we're worried about you..."

"It is a lot to take in," Giles sighed. "The man you were the closest with suddenly turned up on the day we buried him. Anyone of us would be struggling with that."

"I know I am..." Dawn let go of the older Slayer, her eyes tearing up again. "What I did to that slayer..."

"Hey," Buffy put a hand on her sisters back. "You were following procedure-"

"Buff, you saw the way she clung to Drac," a tear fell from her face as she hung her head. "I chained her up and the only thing that comforted her in the end was that Monster."

"I know," Buffy wiped the tear from her face.

"It's really him, isn't it?" Faith croaked, looking from Dawn to Giles. "The things he said, he knew about August 5th..."

Each of the others took notice of that. For as long as the two lovers had been together they had shared that day only with themselves, an unspoken rule over the past decade that no one asked about. It was their day, a secret only they knew and no one had the right to take it from them.

"It-it would appear so..." Giles shared a look with Buffy.

* * *

 **Magic Lab**

They entered the large lab, various workstations littered the huge room, the most prominent station, Willows, was in the centre. As soon as Willow had entered she had been given a clipboard by a woman in a lab coat, the Head Wiccan reading quickly and then signing a few sheets. Kate now walked alongside Dracula, the Master Vampire permitting the girl to hold his hand, an action that felt strange, and yet right. Xander walked on her other side, talking heatedly with Chuma, his daughter Dalili trailing behind.

"Just let me see the scars Alex," Chuma followed Xander. "Otherwise I will have to insist we perform the blood and pain rites once more. You may not be from this world, but I still sense you are like our Alexander."

"Chuma, I'm not taking my shirt off in Will's lab." Xander shook his head at his friend's insistence.

"Spoilsport." Dalili smirked.

"Trust me, I have the scars." Xander waved off.

"Mkuu yako anakuamrisheni" Chuma snapped in Swahili.

"Hamjakuwa ujumla yangu katika miaka" Xander answered back.

"Mtoto wajinga!" Chuma smiled.

"Mwendawazimu umri..." Xander smiled himself as people started to pay attention to them.

"Ukaidi moja jicho..." Chuma threw his hands up in the air.

"Always with the one eye," Xander laughed in English turning his back to the Old Man. He shook his head as he began to rise up his shirt. Chuma's hands moved over the raised scars that littered his back.

"It is you..." Chuma smiled to himself, his fingers tracing over the straight and jagged cuts. He patted Xander on his back and the Watcher lowered his shirt, turning around, Chuma placing his hands on both of his shoulders. "He was cut down too young," he pulled Xander's head down to his, their foreheads touching, their eyes closed. "May you live up to his shadow Alex."

"May the sun of the plains deem me worthy to cast the same silhouette." Xander placed his hands on Chuma's shoulders.

"They just might Mwanangu, they just might." he said quietly as they both hugged.

"Xander," Willow called, indicating a stool for the man to sit on. "If you could sit..."

"Right, yep." he smiled down at the old man before moving around him and taking the offered seat.

"Now," she placed a hand on his chest for a few seconds that began to glow with a yellow light before walking away, the glow staying. "Sit still and I'll try to track where you come from and hopefully what brought you here..." she looked at him as the yellow glow began to spread, a sad smile on her face.

"I'm sorry this happened Wills..." Xander bowed his head.

"So am I..." Willow sniffed, the glow now covering Xander. She took a deep breath before nodding to herself and began waving her hands around before him. Runes began to glow and shimmer in the air before her before moving to circle around him.

"Careful Witch," Dracula growled. "I'm watching you."

"Master," Xander waved the Vamp off.

"Dee," Kate squeezed the demon's hand. "Hush."

"It's ok," Willow said, her hair moving from red to white.

"Wow..." Kate's eyes went wide as she took in the now equally glowing Wiccan and the mystical wind that seemed to move her hair around her. "Isn't she beautiful Dee?" she turned a large smile to the Vamp, the horrors she had faced less than an hour ago no longer on her face.

"She isn't homely I'll give her that..." Drac murmured, Kate elbowing him lightly, the vamp smirking at the young slayer.

The mystical wind began to pick up now, papers around the large lab beginning to take flight about the room. Willow continued, her movements faster now, a slight look of strain on her face. Xander began to glow brightly, the runes surrounding him glowing red as they circled him faster and faster. With a large boom the wind seemed to change direction and headed right for the Head Wiccan. The force blew her back across the room, Willow tumbling several times as an old voice echoed in her head.

'Too soon... We are not ready in the Dale...'

Once Willow had come to a stop everyone moved to her, the glow around Xander disappearing instantly.

"Will!" Xander skidded to his knees next to his friend, her hair still bright white. He placed a hand to her cheek, and then checked her pulse before muttering a quick activation charm and his right hand began to glow. The tattoos turned gold and began to move over his hand as he used it to scan her magically. "She's ok," he said as several Wiccan's in lab coats joined them with a stretcher. "She's just knocked out." At Chuma and the other's looks he gave a small smile and indicated his hand. "Simple diagnosis charm." he flourished his fingers, the glow subsiding and the tattoos returned to normal. "Willow upgraded my tatts after Drac helped me get them; it's just a few minor spells and charms."

"Well, we better still transport her to the Med lab." an older lady in a lab coat arched her eyebrow over her horn rimmed glasses before instructing the other Wicca's to lift Willow onto the stretcher.

* * *

 **The West Coast**

Mortin paused in his walking and clutched his staff tighter, an action not missed by the demons around him, especially his daughter.

"Father," Guardie asked, "What's wrong?" she looked about them quickly, her hand on her dagger as she waited for an attack.

Mortin turned away from her and raised a claw to silence her and the others as they then too paused, many taking sharp breaths as they experienced the same feeling. They saw it in their minds, a white haired Wiccan, her arms spelling runes into the air about her, the runes moving to...

"The Animus!" Several of the demons gasped. "He has returned!" Mortin made a gesture to the others, a small wind moving through them and they all silenced.

"Too soon..." Mortin muttered, gripping his staff tighter, the wood creaking under the strain. "We are not ready in the Dale..." he intoned. "But we will be..." he added opening his eyes and stepping forward slowly up the slight sandy incline they were on. As he crested the top he stopped, his daughter at his side and they took in the view before them. The large lake stretched on into the horizon as far as they could see. "We are here..." he smiled. "Quickly, we haven't much time, the witch will finish soon and they will be coming, we must prepare for them to arrive."

* * *

 **Sometime Later, Med Wing**

He had died...

He was still processing that. It had finally happened. The thing that had been threatening to happen to him ever since he first met Buffy all those years ago in Sunnydale. Oh who was he kidding, it was a miracle he had survived that long in Sunnydale before meeting Buffy to begin with. Growing up the way he had, the many years he had camped outside at Christmas, the fact that even after he knew the world had a darkness to it he still camped out every year... He should have been done in ages ago.

And now he was.

Or he had been... Or was it a 'Xander' had been.

Because it wasn't him. He was still here. He hadn't fucked up, another Xander had. But why had he been brought here? It was the question on everyone's minds. Why had he been brought here after their Xander had been taken?

'Well, this Xander doesn't care,' he thought to himself as he sat vigil in the observation room that overlooked where Willow was lying in a hospital bed still unconscious. 'The only thing that concerns me right know is how do I get Katie and myself back.'

Kate was snuggled into his side as she slept. After they had discovered there was nothing that could be done with Willow besides waiting for her to wake he had insisted the pair was given a chance to clean themselves up. The slayer had not wanted to leave him so he had been forced to use the slayer dorms bathrooms, silently thanking God and all those on high he had listened to Buffy and Faith when building the compound and installed cubicle showers. He loved Kate and had been with her for a couple of years, but he drew the line at seeing her bathe.

He smiled to himself. Kate was taking it all in stride besides the chaining up. She still clung to him, much like she had when he first rescued her from the family compound all those years ago. Human contact seemed to comfort her; she had rarely received it from her family besides undoing her bonds so she could pray, and the occasional backhand. Most slayers he had rescued couldn't stand to be touched, Faith herself sometimes shied away from his embrace at times, but not Kate. She held him tighter in her sleep and he moved his hands from her back to brush the hair from her face, causing a small smile to appear on both their faces.

In the few hours Willow had been unconscious he had asked Giles if he knew anything about the Adams Family church compound in Valdosta, Georgia, and Giles said he had never heard of it. But half an hour later he had returned with some disturbing news. The whole farm and compound had been raised to the ground by a fire years ago.

They had concluded that was why Kate was unknown to them, as she had died in this world before she had been called. When Kate had been told that her Grandfather could no longer get her because he was no longer alive she had merely stared at them both before first jumping into Xander's arms to hug him and then jumping on Giles, her sobs of "Thank you, thank you, thank you" all she said on the matter. Giles had wanted to further explain all the information he had gathered, but Xander had waived him off and said it could be sorted out later.

Faith had kept her distance the few times she came to check on the comatose Wicca along with Buffy and each time Xander felt more and more troubled by it.

Faith didn't look at him.

He didn't know if it was her grief at what she had been though the past few days after finding out he was dead, the fact that he wasn't her Xander, or because she was afraid that he could be hers, but still she didn't look at him.

He understood. If Faith had been taken from him, his Faith... He wasn't sure what he would do. He knew he would mourn her, he would cry, he would hit things, maybe even slip back into the bottle...

He fingered the Zippo lighter in his jacket pocket.

He was tempted to slip into the bottle now.

His finger traced over the small engraving on its face, then the small dog biscuit that had been added below it. He wondered if Faith in this world had given her Xander a similar Zippo as well. Sure, he didn't need the lighter, he didn't smoke after all, and if he wanted to light anything he had his tattoos, but Faith had said it was a symbol of who he was. No longer a Zeppo, he was now a walking Zippo, her Zippo. He smiled to himself as he always did when she made that joke, or he thought about it.

"What are you smiling about?"

The voice was soft, and came from the other side of Kate. Dawn was sitting there watching him. She too had not left his side since Willow was knocked out, but he suspected it was more out of her guilt for chaining up Kate.

"Just thinking about things, Life, the Universe and Everything." he said, pulling the lighter out of his pocket. "Wondering if some things are the same or not." he held up the lighter. "Did he have one of these?"

"Ah... Yeah..." Dawn looked at the scuffed up silver lighter. "He did, Faith got it for him."

"Did he ever let you use it?"

"Yeah, all the time..." She said turning back to the large window before them, watching Willow sleep. "It's pretty handy in a pinch."

"So you know what it says...?" Xander looked down at the lighter in his hand, his thumb tracing the engravings again.

"No..." Dawn shook her head. "Faith had Willow give it a glamour when she enchanted it, Faith said she only ever wanted you to be able to read it."

"You mean him," Xander corrected.

"I-I guess..." Dawn frowned.

"What was the reason for giving it to him?" he asked.

"Well..." she looked to Xander, the man still staring at the lighter. "If I remember what Faith said when she gave it t-to..." she faltered. "Him, it was one of the few possessions she had always had with her ever since she was called."

"And why did she give it to him?" He looked up at her.

"Ah... I think you should ask Faith..."

"I don't think she wants anything to do with me." He looked back to the observation window. "I think it hurts her to see me walking around."

* * *

"I still don't trust him, either of them." Buffy said, watching the monitors.

She was in Dawn's office, Giles and Faith joining her. She was currently staring at two screens, the first one showed Dracula, his box of dirt now returned to the school, the Dark One sleeping amongst his precious earth. The other screen showed Xander, Kate and Dawn in the observation room overlooking Willow's hospital bed.

"I'm not saying we do trust them, especially not Dracula," Giles sighed. "But as far as we can ascertain that is Xander." he pointed at the monitor. "Maybe not our Xander, but still a Xander."

"He has Magicks Giles!" Buffy turned to the Head Watcher. "Xander doesn't have Magicks."

"This one does."

Faith watched the Xander on the monitor. She couldn't look at him when she was in the same room as him, but behind the screen and several hundred feet away she watched him. She saw him smile and she found herself smiling as well. She missed that smile, she missed everything about him. She watched as he pulled something out of his pocket, the object glittering slightly on the screen. She stifled a gasp before her hand went to her own pocket and fished out the silver object she had decided at the last minute not to include in the casket.

Her finger traced the engraving as the Xander on the screen held the Zippo lighter up for Dawn to see. She looked down at the Zippo in her hand, the battered and scratched lighter feeling heavy in her grasp. She smiled as she read the engraving to herself.

 _To X,  
My Favourite  
Scooby Snack  
~F_

She remembered what she used to say to her Xander about the lighter and why she gave it to him. The tears threatened to fall again. Why did he have to come here? Why now? Could she trust him? Could they trust him? Did he just turn up to taunt her with what she couldn't have anymore?

Or was he here to replace her Xander...

Her Xander... Gone, and replaced with this man who had killed a woman so he could get her power. A power that was mixed up with Drac. She had only ever met the Vampire once, Drac having tracked down Xander and tried to entice him to join him once more. He didn't succeed, and Faith got to kick Drac's ass in the process, which had been fun. Xander had asked her to let the Vamp go in the end, and she had agreed, even if it was against her instincts. She had slapped him down and her man had rebuffed him once more. And here he was again, trying to weasel his way back into their lives.

"And we still don't know why Willow passed out?" Buffy asked Giles, knocking Faith out of her thoughts.

"No, none of the other Wiccans can explain it." Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them. "She seems perfectly fine, she appears to be collecting her energies, for what, they cannot say. The spell she had been performing on Xander was a tracer to find the ones responsible for our duplicate and his charge."

"Any more info on the girl?" Buffy asked.

"Kate," Faith spoke up, now paying attention to the two. "Her name is Kate."

"Kathryn Nancy Adams to be precise." Giles picked up a thin folder off Dawn's desk. "I'm afraid she is dead in this world," he explained, handing the folder to Buffy, the Head Slayer opening it. "Six years ago, about the same time, that Xander," he pointed to the screens. "Rescued Kate in his world, the Adams family compound in our world, aptly named 'The Garden', was stormed by ATF Agents. The Patriarch, Pastor Joseph Adams had been on a watch list for some time due to his radical teachings and behaviour. They suspected him of various crimes, torture, illegal weapons and such... A number of wayward souls had joined him over the years, some intergrading themselves with the congregation, others eventually found years later in a mass grave on the outskirts of the county," He frowned. "He believed he was a Prophet and doing God's work as his right hand.

"His sermons were mostly filled with fire and brimstone, that the rapture was near, and many different groups around the world were quickening the world to its downfall. The various religions, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, any ideology for that matter was corrupting the world from the true path of the Lord..." He rubbed his forehead. "They even had several strong words against Homosexuality and the Military that I would never repeat in polite company or bad company for that matter...

"Be that as it may, ATF Agents tried to storm the farm, a large firefight ensued, and rather than be taken alive Pastor Adams barricaded himself, his family and their congregation in their chapel and proceeded to lead them all in self-immolation." he paused at Buffy and Faith's looks of shock. "He believed the fire would cleanse them all and pave their way to Heaven. The fire took the entire compound; Kate was on the list of the dead, along with the rest of her family."

"Guess Xander wasn't lying about Kate's Grand-Pop." Faith said, taking the folder from a stunned Buffy. "He really did get the screwed up girls huh?" she said quietly reading through the couple of pages held within. "I wonder if that's why he was with her," she looked up at Giles and Buffy's confused looks. "His Faith."

"Don't say that," Buffy sat next to her on the desk. "Xander wasn't with you because of your past."

"I know that," Faith looked up at the blonde. "But maybe that Xander was... He's different Buff. He has magic sure, but he paid a terrible price to get it." As both Buffy and Giles shared a look Faith went on to tell them all that Xander had told her once Giles had left his cell.

"Xander killed a woman?" Buffy stared back at the monitors.

"She was a Witch Buffy," Giles corrected. "We have dealt with their ilk before; we still don't know what happened to the fate of Miss Madison's Mother."

"Yes, but we always try to avoid killing Humans, by the sounds of it he went hunting for her."

"Which brings me to my point," Faith watched Xander on the monitor again. "Maybe he was with her because they were both screwed up..."

* * *

Willow tossed and turned a couple times, the monitors next to her beeping more frequently. Xander paused mid-sentence as he and Dawn noticed the sudden activity in Willow's room. He sat up, waking Kate, as a couple medical staff entered the hospital room and began checking on the Witch.

"What's going on?" Kate mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She looked to Xander and then Dawn, both staring out the observation window. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know..." Dawn stepped forward, pushing a button on a small call box by the window. "Doctor? What's happening?"

~We're not sure...~ one of the white coated people turned to the window. ~All her vitals are spiking.~ she turned to one of the nurses. ~Get the Wicca's back in here!~

"What do you mean spiking?" Dawn asked.

~I mean, by these screens, she should be awake and talking...~ the doctor grabbed a sheet of paper that was being printed from an EEG next to the bed. ~There is a huge spike in her brainwaves, she's talking or doing something with Magic that's taking serious mental strain.~

A group of four women, dressed similarly in white lab coats entered the room at that moment. All moved to the bed, but stopped suddenly a few feet away. They each paused before standing straight and freezing on the spot. Willow's hair was still brilliantly white, but now it began to glow and glitter, a faint hint of a mystical wind made it move about her. The rumble that accompanied it began softly, growing by the second before people were grabbing onto any stationary object about them to help maintain their footing.

The observation window smashed from the shaking, Xander grabbing Kate and Dawn, shielding them with his body to protect them from the falling glass. Dust fell from the ceiling as things on shelves and desks fell to the ground around the campus. Xander watched as the four Wiccan's seemed still not to move, despite the earthquake they were now experiencing. Alarms were now going off around the school, Dawn's walkie on her hip squawked repeatedly as calls went out from various departments.

"Say again!" Dawn shouted into the radio. "I repeat, say again!"

~This is Libby over in the Wicca Labs!~ Came the reply. ~All the Witches are frozen! They just stopped whatever they were doing and froze!~

"SUNNYDALE!" All four Wicca's in the room cried as one, the shaking stopping instantly as all four fell to the ground.

* * *

 **The West Coast**

They placed the seal down on the ground, each of the demons standing around the large stone circle. Mortin raised his arms up, his walking stick held aloft. "It is time..." he spoke softly. The other demons looked at each other with trepidation before each raised their arms as well. As one they all began to sing, the chant low in their throats and strung out.

The seal, a large circle of red rock, a pentagram on its face along with several different runes and a large bleeding heart, began to glow red. The demons closed their eyes, some shaking their arms as they droned on, and filled the area with the last of their energies.

Guardie stood behind her father and the others, watching them, her tongue licking her suddenly dry lips. She was nervous. Her tribe had settled on many a place throughout the millennia, but they had never had to take such a drastic course of action as they were doing now. Especially after being forced to leave Cleveland the way they had. So many had died each time they were forced to move, in Sisimiut, Greenland there had only been fifty of them, when in Kongsberg, Norway before that there had been hundreds in the tribe. But it seemed every time the energies began to wane, Essen, Germany, Tolyatti, Russia or Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, all the way to the very first Hellmouth in Asyut, Egypt all those millennia ago there were less and less of them. What they were doing now, what they were forcing this once plentiful place to do was to save their tribe, and in turn save the world.

She knew the Slayers would not see it that way. And for that she was scared. She had grown up hearing the stories of the Slayer, hearing of their triumphs against her fellow demons. How the Last Slayer had changed the rules to suit herself and made all her sisters. And now the last of her tribe, even her own Father, were actively going to put themselves in her and her Slayer Army's path. Guardie nervously checked over her weapons again, making sure she had everything, as once the spell began, they would be casting a large enough beacon into the Magical ether that even the Old Ones would feel it.

Then again, she paused as she looked down the edge of her large sword, making sure there were no nicks or dents, that was the plan wasn't it? If they didn't do what they were planning to do, the Old Ones would awaken once more and all would feel their wrath, Demon and Human alike. She returned the sword to her scabbard on her back and looked over the last of her tribe as they each began to sit around the new seal.

Their chanting grew louder and faster, what started out as a low, drawn out dirge was now becoming livelier and more hurried. She squared her shoulders, cracking her neck as she looked around them. They were on a small island in the middle of the lake, no bigger than a tennis court. The water lapped gently at the small shore, seemingly in time with the chant. That was when she noticed the water had begun to move more, waves undulating higher and higher. She took a deep breath; she could feel the tribe's magicks in the air now, and the familiar feeling of a Hellmouth nearby.

And then she blinked.

The chanting had stopped.

And she was alone.

She turned around several times as she took in her new surroundings. She was in the front yard of a suburban home, trees lined the street, several cars were either parked along the thoroughfare or sitting in driveways of neighbouring homes. Guardie resisted the urge to draw a weapon; instead she placed one hand around the hilt of the dagger at her side. She looked up the path that lead up to the two story house whose front yard she found herself in. It looked nice, as far as houses looked, not that she had seen that many.

A small hedge lined the front of the house, broken by a set of steps that lead to a porch with picture windows on both end, and a large bench with a couple pillows on the right side of the front door. Guardie slowly walked up the concrete path to the door where she could see lights were on. She still looked around her, listening intently for any noise that would alert her to danger. That was when she heard the woman call out someone's name from inside.

When she reached the stairs she contemplated them for a second before slowly stepping on the first step. When nothing happened her shoulders slumped in relief, she hadn't realised how tense she had been. Taking a deep breath she walked up the steps and onto the porch. Guardie had just enough time to read the number 1630 next to the front door before the porch light above her turned on and she shielded her eyes from it as the door flew open.

"Buffy? Dawn?" An older woman stepped out quickly.

Guardie took a step back, her hand still on her dagger, her other moving to the sword on her back.

"Who are you?" the woman asked, an angry edge to her voice. "If you've hurt my daughters..." she took a step forward.

"I haven't done anything to your daughters." Guardie said quickly.

"Good." the woman eyed the demon before her. "Good..." she took a step back to within the house's threshold. "Do you know where they are?" she asked, looking around the front yard.

"They are at their School..." Mortin said softly from behind her.

"Father," Guardie smiled at the demon.

"What are you doing in my house?" The woman turned around quickly, pulling a small blade hidden in the window sill of the window next to the door, a smart idea Xander had when he was charged with rebuilding the front entrance after a demon attack.

"Please relax Mrs. Summers..." Mortin raised his claws in surrender. "We mean you no harm. Guardie, stand down." he looked over her shoulder as his daughter was about to attack the woman.

"No harm...?" the woman repeated, looking back at Guardie as she returned her own dagger to its sheath on her hip. "No harm, and yet you have weapons."

"Only to defend ourselves." Mortin smiled. "Please, come," he gestured to the dining room, where a couple other demons were just sitting down at the table. "We have much to discuss before your daughters and their friends return to their long lost home."

"Long lost home?" the woman repeated, the dagger in her hand falling to her side.

"Yes..." Mortin bowed his head and leaned heavily on his staff. "We have brought the Hellmouth back."

* * *

 **Author's Note 2:** Surprise! Or at least I hope it was. Let me know what you liked, disliked, and all that in a review please, I've been getting less and less of them lately...


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